Resume From Here
by Wishful Vovin
Summary: Basically this is a story of what happened to Sarah and Jareth after the Labyrinth and is a glimpse into Jareth's life, past and emotions, seeing as the movie focused on Sarah.


Return in Time

The lone barn owl waited patiently in the old oak tree, just outside Sarah's room, waiting to be let in. He had been called to this realm. He wondered if the phrase 'All of you' meant him as well.

"I need you, Hoggle, every now and then in my life, I need you, all of you." Sarah said

"Yuh... yuh do? Well why didn't yuh say so! WOOO! Hoggle cried as all of his friends joined Sarah in a celebration of her defeat of Jareth.

'_Damn 'loyal' subjects. Liars, traitors, damn things deceived me!_' the owl's mind spat as he watched the celebrations from his perch. The celebrations were lacking one thing. This was no normal owl. For this were Jareth, The Goblin King, and ruler of the Underground!

The owl flew away, seething. He found his way to a small field. Perched on a decomposing tree branch he decided to have a small snack before heading back to the unknown. His owl senses picked a movement below. A small field mouse had wandered in to dangerous territory. With a weak screech, Jareth pounced on the mouse and carried the squirming heap back to the tree and devoured it.

Back in the house, Sarah was cleaning up after the wild party she had just thrown. There were bright streamers from the Fiery's and empty wine glasses from the Goblins. Sarah bit her lip and thought to herself '_I invited all the people and things from the Underground, but where was Jareth? I would have liked to apologise to him._'

'_I invited all the people and things from the Underground, but where was Jareth? I would have liked to apologise to him._' Jareth heard in his owl mind. He was having troubles getting back to his own magical realm. Jareth was crouched in the tree hollow. Was that Sarah who said that? Who said it? He walked out of the hollow and onto the adjoining branch. '_Sarah! I am coming!_' He screeched as he flew north, the direction of Sarah's house.

Sarah looked up as she heard a dull thump on the window. 'What was that?' she thought. Sarah walked to the window and opened it. She looked down and saw a small frail barn owl at the base of the old oak tree. "Ohmigosh!" Sarah exclaimed. She darted down the stairs, nearly tripping, past her father and stepmother who were conversing about her; they always talked behind her back, in the sitting room. She sped out the front door and to the side of the house. And in no doubt there was a sad looking barn owl at the base of the tree. "Oh, you poor creature!" Sarah sympathised. The barn owl gave her an '_I'm okay, I am fine, I can't let you see me in pain'_ look. "You are a proud sort of fellow aren't you? You remind me of someone I know…"

"Rawk" he answered back '_Jareth! I am Jareth!_'

"Well, I can't leave you out here, can I?" Sarah said.

"Rawwk" Jareth screeched '_No, Sarah, you can't._'

"Well, lets get you inside." Sarah wrapped the owl that had flown into her window in her coat and sneaked back inside.

"What were you doing? Why did you run outside like that, Sarah?" Karen, her stepmother reeled on her as soon as she walked in the door.

"I… I heard a noise. I wanted to know what it was." Sarah said, slinking back to her room.

"What was it? You know Sarah; I am getting worried about you! You are wrapped up in a fantasy world. You don't care about us, do you? All that matters to you is your world and your acting! You know you are not going to get anywhere. You're going to be just like your mother! Sleeping with every director in the business just so you can get a minor roll in any B grade movie! You know what you are Sarah? You're a try hard, a poser. Just like your mother!" Karen sneered. The evil woman liked to torment Sarah and diminish her pride whenever possible.

"You take that back! Take it back! You have no right to say that!" Sarah roared as she came back out of her room. The bird was on her bed and she had just come out to get some meat and water for the owl. "She was much better than you as a mother! She cared about me! She supported me! She loved me!"

"She did not love you! She was afraid! Afraid of you! Afraid of parenthood! Afraid of commitment! She was a nothing, just like you! Besides Sarah _nobody_ _loves you_" Karen snarled back.

"I hate you! It's not fair!" Sarah screamed.

"Life isn't fair Sarah! Look what happened to me!" Karen called after her.

She ran to get a bowl of water and meat for the barn owl. When she returned there was not bird in sight. In its place were swirling glitter and a rather masculine, rather naked man.

"Jareth!" Sarah gasped, looking down at her fluffy pink bunny slippers. "What are you doing here?"

"I seem to have lost my powers," he sighed "Momentarily I assure you, but until then, could I trouble you for some clothes? I heard your thoughts and you said you wanted to see me. That's why I am here. But is this true, Sarah, do you truly want to see me?"

Sarah was still looking down at her slippers. It was true; she had summoned him again, for the third time in two days. But for what purpose did she want to see him? Her mind was blank. "I… I did call you, Jareth, but I don't know what for. I know it was of great importance."

"Well, Sarah, I am a king. I do have work to attend to. I do not exactly like this realm, for all the iron that you mortals seem to use." He mentally shivered at the thought of iron; it is deadly to his kind. "All I need is some clothes and I will take my leave." Jareth replied his mismatched eyes roaming over her figure. She was very beautiful, her extensive amount of silky dark hair, her slim figure, her long slender legs and her faultless breasts. He mentally slapped himself for thinking that way of a fifteen year old. Jareth turned for the wardrobe on his left and started to rummage through it. He found suitable clothes and dressed. He grimaced slightly at his choice of words now that he thought them over, it was far too harsh, but he did not want Sarah to know that he loved her… just yet.

"Don't go, please, don't go," Sarah whispered, almost to herself, barely audible. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for defeating you, for throwing your words in your face. I'm sorry for everything. I am sorry for not accepting your offer, but Toby had a life in the Aboveground, and I could not take it away from him, his Mother and Father would have missed him terribly. If it were not for that, I would have stayed in the Underground, with you until my dying days. The only thing I am not sorry for is loving you. Jareth, I love you!" Tears were streaming down her face, although she tried to blink them away.

Jareth's breath got stuck in his throat. She loved him? Nobody had loved him since… Merina. And that was thousands of years ago. She was dead. Dame Falcor has murdered her out of pure jealously. The two had loved him dearly and yet both died in a vain fight for him. Jealousy was a deadly enemy in the hands of magic's. She loved him. He had loved Sarah for years, constantly spying on her just to make sure she was satisfied with life. He constantly got revenge for her when people taunted her, weather they _accidentally_ tripped down stairs or fell into a pond. When they finally met he had offered her her dreams along with his heart and soul. '_Fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave!_' She did not accept it. She chose her brother. Now he knew why, for the babe, it was not for herself. True his speech was lacking in the tact department, but now he did not care, she loved him and that was all that mattered. He was so happy that the magic that coursed through his very veins threatened to explode in a colourful array. Jareth stepped towards Sarah, his arms outstretched. Then just before their arms entwined with each other, blackness enveloped him, sending him home without his consent.

"What in the seven lands do you think you are doing, Jareth? You were playing floozy with some mortal girl!" The voice was in the shadows. It came closer until Jareth saw a man clad in a black medieval vest, black tights and a ruffled, black poet shirt, buttoned right up to his neck. A scar ran down one side of his face, and down under the collar of the poet shirt.

"I was not playing 'floozy.' I love her and she the same, Mokena! I demand you send me back." It was not like he had tried. It seemed that Jareth's father and restrained his magic. Jareth's eyes glared black with hate. He was ashamed to look like him and be called his son.

His father was a dishonourable man. Jareth hated him with a passion. He was brought up to hate him. Mokena, his father, had raped his mother, Queen Yvette, whilst he was in service to the king as the army general. He was stripped of his magic and outcast in to the Labyrinth's unknown, to die, but he had obviously survived. And grown strong enough to tap into the Labyrinth's magic. He had lived for over a thousand years as a leech.

Jareth was an only child. It was extremely difficult for a Fae woman to conceive a child. Jareth's birth was a hard and difficult one. It had left Queen Yvette baron, never able to carry a child for as long as she may live. Because he was the only child, a male no less, he was heir to the throne of King Togari. When he was of age he was to take the throne and rule over the Goblin Kingdom, like his step father and mother had done for many centuries. He massaged his temples with his long delicate fingers. What was he going to do? How could he get back to his love, Sarah?

Sarah paced the room frantically. Jareth had come when she called him and then as soon as he came, he had disappeared. They were just about to embrace for the first time and he left with out so much as a swirl of glitter. Maybe he was just playing a cruel and heart breaking game? Jareth was a powerful magical Fae. They liked playing games and breaking hearts. Perhaps this was another game to him. But the way he looked at her, his mask of arrogance was gone and was replaced with pure caring and love. She had to find him, but how? Sarah had an idea. She stopped pacing and went to the same wardrobe that Jareth had rifled through less then half and hour ago. Sarah took out a pair of jeans, similar to the ones she wore to the Labyrinth, and put them on, doing up the four buttons at the top. She found an old low cut top and placed it over her slim figure. The final accessory was a really old jumper. Light blue, always her colour. Fighting away tears of her nervousness she then stood in the middle of the room and said, scarcely exceeding a whisper…

"I wish the goblins would come and take me away. Right now!"

Jareth felt a familiar niggling prod in the back of his head. He grinned, baring his sharp fang-like teeth.

"Mokena, I demand you unbind my magic, I have been called, and as king of the Goblin Kingdom, I have to respond and fulfil my duty as monarch."

"Ah, Jareth, you believe that I only brought you here so as you not to disgrace your self and your family by fooling around with that mortal, then leaving her there to bring up a babe on her own-"

"I would not have done anything Sarah and I did not want to do together, let alone leave her to bring up a babe solo! That would dishonour the both of us! And if you do anything to her, I will hunt you down like vermin and kill you." Jareth stated viciously, cutting Mokena off.

"Jareth, Jareth, Jareth, I have taken over your title of King of the Goblin Realm by force. Nothing you can do will stop me from taking your powers. And please," Mokena swayed his hand over Jareth's body; the Aboveground clothes melted off and was replaced by his usual, medieval attire. "Never wear mortal clothes again." He vanished in a puff of blackened smoke. He disappeared but his voice lingered on. "If you want your title and companion back, you must defeat me in a magical Hajian, Jareth. Until then you are free to wander MY castle enjoying it without your magic. Oh, and Jareth, don't you worry, I won't hurt your little _slut_." This was followed by a sinful snigger.

Sarah stood at the window, the shutters slightly ajar. A soft breeze was playing with her lengthy ebony hair. The moon was out and full. The stars had retired to bed. It was a truly magical night. Sarah stoked at her cheek, the one she longed for Jareth to touch. Her command for the goblins to take her seemed to take forever until…

"You seem to be waiting for someone. I wonder who_ that_ could be." A British voice called.

Sarah whipped around only to come face to face with Mokena.

"Who are you? Ooh, what have you done with Jareth, where is he?" Sarah drummed her balled up fists on his chest, pinning the blame on the Fae that stood tall in her room.

"Oh, so harsh, firstly I am Mokena, Jareth's father." Mokena retorted sarcastically as he dodged another blow from Sarah. "And you know perfectly well what I have done with him. Sarah, you must run MY Labyrinth, if you want to win back Jareth. But more than your lover is at risk here. If you don't complete the Labyrinth in, say, thirteen hours Jareth, his kingdom and you will be mine… forever." Sarah's room dissolved around her, and was replaced with the same hill she stood on less than two days ago.

Mokena appeared, in conjunction with his signature cloud of black smoke, in the throne room with a disgusted smirk on his face. The gaze was being cast at the rambunctious goblins. '_They would be the first to go when I come to rule this kingdom_' he contemplated to himself. "So, you like alcohol, do you?" His voice sounded in the thunderous room. Some of the ugly goblins turned their heads at their favourite word. Some of them nodded. But the majority just blinked in a confused daze. Mokena's arm waved across the room and a colossal barrel filled with pure vodka materialized in the middle of the room. For a brief moment the goblins were suspended over it. But oh so brief it was. With a massive splash they fell into it, squealing as the brew stung their eyes and burnt their delicate throats. Mokena just stood and guffawed with evil mirth. He looked at the writhing surface of the liquid. Most of the goblins got out but some were having difficulty emerging. His work was done. He admired the devastation he had caused and vanished in a cloud of blackish fog.

Jareth buried his hands in his shoulder length hair. He rubbed his incompatible eyes. Concern was pulsing through his veins, not only for Sarah, but for his goblins. A horrible high-pitched wailing drifted throughout the corridors moments ago. They may be smelly, noisy and utterly impossible to house train, but he still cared for them. Most of them were loyal. '_Particularly that Gundug fellow. He was the most loyal of the clan. And he was the cleanest._' Jareth thought as he yawned, but still rose to his feet. He brushed some invisible lint off his attire and strode to the door. When he found it locked Jareth kicked the wall and threw a childish tantrum. "It's not fair!" He slid down the wall until he was set on the cold, hard stone floor and it was then that he noticed a small door that his smaller servants entered through. A note was pinned to it:

'_This door is unlocked. You must crawl to get out. You know you want to, go on crawl Jareth, like the parasite you are.' _

Jareth fumed at what Mokena expected him to do. But it was his only way out! What was he to do? Bend to the wicked bastard's orders, or remain his stubborn self and stay in this dank room until he was freed. Jareth levitated himself to his knees and made his way through the servant's door, wearing holes in the knees of his tights.

"Ahhh, I knew you would succumb to curiosity sooner or later." Mokena said as he became visible in front of Jareth.

"You murderous…" Jareth was at a loss for words, but he used an expression that Sarah used when she sent away a hooligan of a boy "Prick!" it seemed to fit as Jareth got up hastily and dove for Mokena's neck.

Again Mokena stepped sideways, avoiding the attack. "Oh, you and your slut are the perfect pair. Just as vicious as the other. I actually came to tell you she is trying to find you. See?" Mokena threw a crystal at Jareth, who caught it with unsteady hands. With out his magic he was practically a mortal. In particular he was as clumsy as one anyway.

Jareth gazed into the stone. All he saw was Sarah's bewildered face. About twenty satanical faeries were pulling at her hair and tugging at her clothes. Jareth dropped the precious stone and heard it shatter on the hard ground. He turned swiftly on his heel and strode towards the library. Mokena called out behind him "Oh, so now we are walking away, are we? How weak, you are no spawn of mine! Just remember you cannot escape me! I will always be watching you!" Jareth turned to respond with a nasty word used freely in the Aboveground realm, but all that remained of Mokena were the fine wisps of his smoke. When Jareth reached his library, he pulled a ratty book from the red wood shelves. It contained simple spells and incantations. Jareth did not need magic for spells. He was taught simple incantations as a child, but a hindrance spell was more complex. Barely above a mutter had Jareth started to weave his spell.

"Inconesis confined impedimenta complexus."

Sarah felt oddly light and warm for a moment and all of the sudden the devilish faeries were flung backwards. She was lifted from the ground two inches and dropped down to earth as quickly as it had happened. A warm breeze flowed past and three words were carried on the wind. 'To protect you…' She knew it was from Jareth and Sarah thanked him for it. She held her hands out in front of her and when Sarah found that they could not penetrate more than half a metre, she immediately knew what Jareth had done.

"He made me a barrier. Nothing can hurt me! Oh thankyou, Jareth." Sarah looked up at the sky and sent a prayer for his safety.

She made her way down the slop, skidding slightly and coming to a halt at the huge fortifications. More faeries tried to come at her but rebounded off the glass like obstruction. Sarah just pointed and laughed at them. Her laughing drew the attention of a familiar hob-goblin who was spraying the demonic faeries.

"Bah! Faeries, I hate those damn creatures. Sa… Sarah? Is that you? What is you doing here?" Hoggle inquired.

"Oh, Hoggle, I need you to help me! I wished I could see Jareth again and he came, and now I know he loves me, and I love him, but, but then something happened and he vanished, then I wished myself here and Jareth father appeared, can you believe that…?" Sarah paused for a gulp of precious, much needed, air before she started again. "And now I'm here. And thanks for trying to kill those turd ass faeries."

"Whoa there, Sarah, can you explains that to me's more slowly?" Hoggle asked, with a look of utter befuddlement written all over his wrinkled face.

Sarah clicked her tongue in annoyance, but never the less started to explain to Hoggle what had happened. After a brief gossip, Hoggle's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"He loves you. That stink rat? Jareth don't deserve you, I tells ya! But do you _really_love him? Yous gotta remember what he did. He stole Toby from you. How is he by the way? "

"Hoggle! I've only got thirteen hours! I can't stand here and talk! Where's the door?"

"What door?"

"Hoggle!"

"He, he, he. Sorry, I could not helps it…." Hoggle expressed his amusement as he showed Sarah to the door.

"Since when have you had a sense of humour?" Sarah said snidely "Uh, Hoggle? Can you come with me?"

"Sarah, I would do anythings for you, but withs one condition; if you and Jareth _do_ gets together, tell him not to puts me in the Bog. Please?" Hoggle looked up at Sarah with pleading brown puppy eyes. She just chortled to herself and wiped away her laughter tears.

Once he knew that Sarah was well protected, Jareth slumped in a large, comfortable chair by the fire in his library. He was weak from the spell. With no natural magic of his own, a spell like that had physically drained him. Slowly, he gave in as a fitful, dream filled sleep claimed him.

Mokena reappeared in the foyer of Jareth's castle. He had been gaining knowledge of the castle for over two hours. It had changed a lot since he was there three hundred centuries ago, when King Togari had ruled and Jareth was still a foetus in his mother's womb. Then he had been stripped of his powers and outcast. Mokena's smile turned into a horrible twisted grin. It was made of evil and jealously yet it also yielded small bit of fear. It was because of Jareth he had been exiled.

It has been about two hours and a half hours since Hoggle and Sarah had entered the Labyrinth's mighty gates. And to Sarah's horror she found out that the Labyrinth had changed to challenge her educated mind. The twists and turns had merged together in front of their eyes, and, one more than one occasion, Sarah could of swore she saw large black shadow beasts with red gleaming eyes that resembled a gigantic version of Ludo walking past. Once one of the strange beings looked straight at her before going on its way. Some of them were dragging huge wooden clubs.

"Hoggle?" Sarah asked quietly.

"What?" he said gruffly.

"I think I keep seeing big black shadow things… what are they?" Sarah questioned.

"They are Anonon's. They haves no name; they wander the Labyrinth withs no meaning. A person try and keeps away from them as they bring very bad lucks. You can only sees them now because yous have suffered a true loss." Hoggle replied short and darkly.

"Oh." Sarah said thinking about the poor creatures banished to such a life.

They pressed forward for many more hours, twisting and turning walking deeper into the Labyrinths' unknown territory, before Sarah's stomach made them stop. Hoggle jumped in fright.

"W-was that an Anonon?" he whimpered. Hoggle was a true coward at heart, but Sarah could not help laughing.

"No, silly, it was my stomach. Sawah… Sawah hunnngy!" She did a perfect imitation of Ludo which brought a small grin and some color back to Hoggle's pale, startled face.

"Well, I don't have much for you…" Hoggle started before he got cut off.

"Allo'," said the memorable blue fuzzy haired worm "I know you! You defeated King Jareth! My congratulations to you ma'am!" he paused "You weary maze travelers look hungry, and the missus could whip up some food in a right jiffy!" The worm smiled a mischievous smile.

"As much as we is hungry we must graciously declines from you invite, sir." Hoggle said, clearly using speech Sarah did not know he was capable of. They started to walk off, but the worm was screaming obscene profanity at them, obviously angry, at the top of his tiny little lungs.

"What did you do that for?" Sarah cornered Hoggle in a dead end. "He offered food! I'm starved!"

"That, my dears, was a Jorum. A Jorum is a small carnivorous crevice dwellings creature. It resembles an Aboveground caterpillar, to be arcur… accura-"

"Accurate?" Sarah suggested without thinking.

"Yeah, that. Sarah, if he had ofs lured us into his abode, his 'missus' would haves 'whipped up some food in a jiffy.' Us!" Hoggle answered his voice squeaky. This was the second Labyrinthian brute he had to explain the true identity to her. Her mind must have rather matured up rather quickly for these dangerous beasts to be here.

Sarah continued to walk and thought about the last time she was in the Labyrinth. If she had more time she would have accepted the worms' offer. She shivered slightly at the thought of becoming a meat eating worms' afternoon tea. Not only was it that fact, the cold was making her weak. Jareth's woven incantation had now failed. Sarah was exposed to the climate, danger and worst of all, herself. With six hours gone, they started to walk faster…

"Oh, my head…" Jareth moaned as he woke from his erratic sleep. All he saw during his doze was Sarah falling down into oubliettes, with no helping hands to aid her. When she got to the bottom and fell through the hole furthermore coming to a hard impact with the ground, rough walls were closing in, eventually squeezing the life out of her beautiful, pure body. It was played over and over in his head, to the point that it had given him a horrendous head pain.

He rose shakily and slowing stepped over to the liquor cabinet. Retrieving a small wine glass he poured himself a rich red wine that had been maturing for some years. It was always intended that this would be the drink that he would share with his bride on the wedding night, but it looked like he would not ever marry, or love again. The wine revived him somewhat, the color returning to his pale face. He became less and less shaky on his feet. Again he sat down in his high backed chair by the fire. The flames were crackling merrily in the hearth. If only he could be so merry. Jareth's thoughts again drifted to Sarah and her desperate plight to get to the center of the Labyrinth. He worried about the beasts she would face whether they were large or small. The creation of the Labyrinth was much like the creation of a castle. If you had enough riches, one would just get someone else to make it. Many decades went into the building of the Labyrinth. So long that the original stone mason died. His son took over, but he was a tormented soul, weaving dark magic into the walls, creating a mind for the Labyrinth. Oubliettes and evil creatures were incorporated into the living being. The walls were given the power to change at will. Only one person could control the Labyrinth, and that was the King, and even Jareth controlled it with great difficulty. All of a sudden Jareth snapped out of his daydreaming. Jareth's concern for his Sarah could no long remain in his mind. Big, fat salty tears started to well in his eyes and fall out, splashing on his open poet's shirt. There for many more hours he would stay. In the high backed chair by the fire, weeping.

A heavy sigh filled the throne room. It was empty and only one life force could be sensed. Mokena was lounging in the tusked throne. His job of drowning the goblins in alcohol was done. The job where he casts the goblins out the nearest fifth story window was done. He had explored the castle and made mental notes of changes. He had gotten lost in the Escher Room. He had threatened his son. What more was there to do in this crusty scab of a castle? Sighing again he rose from the throne. Again with the customary puff of blackened smoke he left the room to check on his victims.

"Oh, Hoggle, I think we are going the wrong way!" Sarah exclaimed. She could feel an unexplained sadness within her body. To start with it rocked her so badly she began the weep herself. Hoggle of course was leading and was none the wiser to her pain. Wiping away the river of sorrow, she continued to walk.

"Hoggle, where are-" Sarah started, but could not finish for her question was cut off by a tremendous roar. Hoggle's eyes became three times larger than their natural size and he slowly backed away. Sarah, remembering what happened last time, retrieved at rope from her bag at the speed of light and lassoed it around his waist, then tied it to her own.

"Sarah! Let me goes! Right's now!" Hoggle protested loudly.

"No!" Sarah replied shortly, pulling the remonstrating Hoggle in the direction of the bellow.

A few steps later dark haired Sarah peeked from behind a gnarled wall. A murmured gasp left her full lips.

"Ludo…"

As sure as eggs are eggs, the large and furry red yeti was strung up in the same tree, calling the rocks. Sarah heard glass tinkle on the ground. Peering around the corner just a bit more she saw the evil Mokena, shattering his magical balls against the beast's hide.

Without thinking yet again Sarah leapt from her hiding place with the speed of a cheetah and the grace of a rhinoceros and bowled Mokena over. Sarah was positioned over his chest, her knees pinning down his waist.

"What do you think you're doing, you mad bitch?" Mokena demanded, struggling to get up but failing. "Gedorfme!" he said. Relying on his magic, he flung the girl off his body. Sarah flew across the clearing, and, because the rope was too short, dragged Hoggle along too.

As she hit the wall with a dull, but never the less sickening crack, the furry beast had undone itself.

"Sawah! Bad… man… hurt Sawah!" Ludo came running after her. Hoggle was recovering and when he saw his unconscious companion, he leapt up and tried to tend to the bleeding gash at the back of her head. The hob-goblin barley looked twice at the raging battle between a young, runt Anonon and a powerful, fully matured Fae. A loud howl meant a fire crystal had come into contact the creature's fur. A scorch mark formed on his pelt. A crunch meant that Ludo had flung the man into the tree trunk.

Mokena, realizing he was at a weak point in this battle, already weak from taunting the brute earlier looked at the trio and snarled to them.

"I'll be back when you least expect it." Then, without another insult, he vanished.

Ludo lopped over to the Goblin. "Sawah… leaving." he moaned, for as it seemed, Sarah was dying.

Jareth pawed at the tear stains streaked down his cheeks. He was immensely depressed now, for the life force within him, which belonged to Sarah, was dimming rapidly. He knew that Sarah was dying, but how? Why did it happen to him? What had he done? Jareth had been a good king. He judged fairly and wisely. He may rule with an iron, he shivered at that, fist, but not enough for the Underground sprites to hate him. Sprites! That was his answer. He bounced over to the wall to wall library once again. _Water Demons and Air Moats_, he found was useless. _Satanically Unstable Wall Fairies_ again was unhelpful. It was when he came by _Luck Dragons and Healing Sprites _when it fell upon his head did he find his luck. It listed how to woo some into helping him and what to give them in return. He must hurry if it were to save his love's life. The dragons would do anything for gold and jewels, but the sprites were harder to please. They liked silver and enchanted materials, of which they made their clothes with. He cleared his throat and began the chant in which to summon the mystical creatures.

"_Luck dragons of old come to me, with your gift of fortuity._

_Sprites of health come to me, with your gift of curity._

_Both of you are needed now so get your wings a moving._

_You have been called; once again, I beg and plead with you._

_My love it in trouble deep, her heart is somehow wounded._

_Gold and dimes, shining trinkets I will give to you._

_Please, time is seeping, come… come to my aid."_

Jareth knew his made up call would be dodgy, but worth a try. He spun on his heel when he heard tiny wings pattering in the distance. Sure enough a small being with flowing blonde hair dressed in a soft blue gown was tapping at the window. He sprinted over and pulled it in a small bit, enough for her entry.

"Good evening, sire. I heard your call. Where is she? Your love I mean." The faerie giggled.

"I don't know." He replied his eyes cast at the floor, as if a young boy in trouble.

"What do you mean, you don't kn-" she began, a rumbling, masculine voice finished her sentence.

"Thee doth not know, because thee evil swine, Mokena, is making thine fair maiden run thy gauntlet again," The green scaled dragon said from the window, "Well? Cometh to thy gardens so I can see thee properly!" Jareth never knew it was possible for a Fae to run as fast as he just did, but to meet this dragon, and save Sarah's life, he pushed himself to and past the limit. He reached the gardens full of energy, but his lungs were aching terribly.

"Dragon! Dragon! Show yourself!" Jareth demanded in a voice that was not his own.

"Do thou really expect thy to help thee when thee is acting like a swine?" the large beast said as it stepped out from behind a tree, the green of the shining scales of it's hide blending into the environment.

Jareth's mismatched eyes grew large and he apologized profusely. He had completely forgotten that dragons are extremely proud creatures and mandate the utmost respect.

"Thy insult to my kind is forgotten," he folded his crimson wings tightly against his body, "I doth know were thee maiden is. Get on thy back and hold onto a spike." the dragon raised a gigantic clawed mitt of which to help Jareth to a threshold but before another word could be spoken and rather aggressive looking healing faerie-like sprite came fluttering down the path.

"You left me alone! I never introduced myself! You dolt!" she said "My name however is Katanya. You may call me Kat."

"Err… Kat please… we have no time for niceties." Jareth stated shortly, getting comfortable as he could between two spine barbs. The sprite huffed, but sat on his shoulder. In two quick, jolty movements, they were in the air, the dragons crimson wings thrusting away.

Mokena retreated back to the throne room of _his_ castle, because now that the whiny girl was wounded enough to kill her, it would surly be his. And the title to go with it, he always wanted to be a king. He was slightly disappointed that he had probably fatally injured the girl. She would have made a nice trophy to show off at social functions and balls. Lightening flashed in the distance. It was a storm that responded to the feelings of the king. The feelings of the real king. King Jareth.

"Jareth," he snarled savagely, "I will have your head yet. You just wait and see."

Horrible retching sounds were being heard in the round court yard where Sarah was dying. They were to be her last breathes. The smell of blood had traveled and Jorums were emerging from their crevasses, expecting a meal. Anonon's were being drawn to the site of misery and extreme bad luck.

"H-Hoggle…" she managed to choke out, "Tell J-Jareth I lo-love him."

"You're not gonna dies! You can't dies, we needs you!" Hoggle cried.

"I need you!" Jareth called as he leapt down off the back of a huge dragon, its wings folding across its back. He ran to her side and clasped her hand in his own. A trickle of blood ran down to her chin, from the corner of her mouth.

"Jareth…" she whimpered, "I don't wanna go..." Sarah passed out, the pain unbearable.

"Move will you, you idiotic mule!" Kat squealed at the top of her tiny little voice, pushing at Jareth's side. He moved post haste.

Kat started to take herbs and faerie dust from a pouch tied to the thin, delicate belt tied around her waist. She crushed the ingredients on the stone ground, satisfied when it was a disgusting brown paste. Katanya flitted up to the wound and progressed to smear it on the lesion.

"Now it's up to you, Akaveli." She said when her part was complete. The dragon slid over to Sarah's side. Jareth was horrified when Akaveli blew a mist of steaming fire over Sarah.

"It's okay, she can't feel it, and if she could it would feel pleasantly warm." Kat whispered in Jareth's ear. Jareth felt instantaneously relived. When Akaveli was done, Sarah started to murmuring an incoherent language, which Jareth was sure was elfish. She awoke with a start.

"Jareth!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, then slumped against the wall again weeping.

"Shhh, its okay, calm yourself, Sarah. It's okay." He tried to calm her convulsing body. Jareth started to unconsciously weep himself.

Hoggle, Ludo, Akaveli and Katanya stood a good two meters away from them in this time of struggle, weakness but most of all love...

Sarah's mind was in a state of disrepair when she awoke. She remembered nothing and her head ached like the fires of Hell itself. Struggling to rise, she could not and fell beck onto a rather hard, uneven surface. Looking around all she could see was sky and fields below. Gasping she held onto what she could find, which happened to be a sharp dorsal spike. It blazed like green emeralds. Wind whipped her hair and crimson wings beat around her prolific vision. She closed her eyes and began to enjoy flying. Until she remembered what happened…

"Jareth! Where are you!" she began to thrash wildly.

"Calm down milady. You will spook Akaveli." A calm voice said from her shoulder.

Thinking she was hearing things she swatted her shoulder, which received a startled squeal. Gasping for what seemed like the trillionth that day, she spun her head, which crinked her neck painfully. Spying what had talked from her shoulder was a faerie; she tried to hit it away because she already knew what faerie did. They bite! Squealing again Kat did try to bite her, but in self defense. She did not hurt Sarah anyway.

"You ungrateful little sod, you!" Kat cried, beating her wings in frustration.

"You're a… faerie?" Sarah said faintly.

"I am most certainly not a faerie milady! They are ghastly little creatures. I am a Sprite… of healing." She added hastily.

"Oh," Sarah said inaudibly. She grasped the spike tighter, for fear of falling. "Where is Jareth?"

Kat sighed. Mortals were complex things, she would never understand them. "Jareth is over," she pointed to her far left, "There." And true to her word, Jareth was flapping lazily on the left side of the dragon.

"And what of Hoggle and Ludo, where are they?"

"Hoggle would not come near Akaveli, Ludo thought he would be too heavy," Kat said shortly, "Now shush yourself, I am thinking." She ended the conversation then and there. Sarah watched as Jareth flew ahead, until he became a black dot in the sunrise.

In another completely different realm a door swung open creaking slightly, lighting up a bedroom of creams and pale colors. Stuffed animals and various other trinkets adorned shelves and tables. The glossy front cover of a woman's magazine shone in the light. Jeremy, his ex-wife's-boyfriend's face was visible on the cover; picking the publication up he tore it in two, four, eight pieces. The remains lay scattered on the floor, forgotten.

"Sarah? Are you in here? Karen told me you two had a spat. Are you okay? Sarah?" Robert faded out when he found the room completely empty. Glitter was sprinkled on the floor. But there was no Sarah. Walking around the room he crossed to Sarah's neatly made bed. A ghostly silence was in the room with him, almost magical. Lying on the bed were two items. One of which Robert was familiar with. It was, of course, Sarah's copy of _Labyrinth_. He stroked the red leather cover. The faded gold heading was starting to chip off. She loved this book with her life. The additional object was a shining crystal sphere. Sliver flecks of light swirled through it. It glowed with an unnatural light. He sat on the bed, book and sphere in hand. He was about to do something he should have done years ago...

"I wish the Goblins would come and take me away… right _now_!"

Thunder crashed and lighting flashed. A great storm raced to the house where the words had been uttered. Children screamed for their mothers, rattling the walls of their cots. Dogs barked loudly, pulling against their chains and cats mewed, begging to be let in. Birds were sent spiraling into the air, yelling their disgust.

"Of what do you want?" a cold voice entered Robert's ears.

"Who are you?" Robert demanded, not knowing what he was up against.

"I prefer to avoid niceties. What do you want?" Mokena said, rather viciously, more so than intended.

"I want my daughter. You took her, am I right?" accused Robert.

"I did that of my accusation, you are correct, Mortal. You surprise me."

"Why?"

Mokena paced the room like an angry caged tiger. "Is it of your concern?"

"It most certainly is! My daughter's infatuation with fantasy has to stop! You must be an actor, right? With that garb it is hard to believe. You look as if you intend to go to a children's dress up party." taunted Robert as he flicked the collar of Mokena's high necked shirt, unaware of the crystal that had materialized in the hidden hand behind Mokena's back. Robert turned for the door. With one smooth movement and a look of utter rage, the powerful Fae had pelted the sphere at Robert's turned back. With a small crack Robert was not to be seen anywhere. Mokena dusted his hands and disappeared himself. In that ambit, a life force departed that world forever…

Having another victim under his belt and care, Mokena strutted around the throne room, much to the disgust of the more articulate goblins, just like a prize rooster. Some smarter goblins that had snuck back in during his absence looked at him, wondering where their 'nice king' was. The nice king may have kicked them, abused them and made them work, but at least he paid them wages and gave them free ale of Friday nights. Oh well, they were simple creatures, but they were determined to give this black cloaked stranger hell…

"What are you snot-faced _things_ looking at? Besides a handsome, smart, wealthy Fae that is." Mokena said, once he had notice their undivided attention on him.

"Vain!" coughed a goblin from the far corner.

"Bully!" spluttered another.

"Alley cat doo!" Yet another taunted. Goblins made a crude circle around him and forced him into the center pit. Scraps of food, molding and rather smelly, were thrown at the intruder. They had lost their fear and were revolting against him. The head goblin, which looked rather like a vicious piranha with strands of greasy black hair, stood up and addressed them.

"My fellow peers! This man you see before you is a cheat, a liar and a low down scoundrel, determined to over throw our leader, King Jareth!" Goblin drew in breaths of disbelief. "We need to figure a punishment for his treason!"

"I got it, Smolgon! I got the pendant!" a small runt goblin cried as is slid over to the leader of the pack. What the young thing was trying to tell him that he had been given the password by the King to open the draw at the back of the throne. The pendant, much similar to the one that the King wore draped around his neck. This one was for the Queen.

"The staff gets the staff, not the pendant, you dolt!" Smolgon hissed through gritted fangs. The goblin held onto the pendant, as if a security item.

"You surely mean this, eh, Smolgon?" A voice said by the window. Every occupant of the room turned their head. King Jareth was standing by the window, leaning on a long black staff with a silver crystal sphere decorating the top. Cheers were raised at the King's return. Jareth sauntered over to the fallen villain.

"You kidnap me. You take my magic, of which I shall take back from your _care_," Jareth plunged his hand into Mokena's chest, pulling a golden orb from within the abyss. He then took a sharp dagger concealed within his boot and made a cavity surrounded by his own, pale chest. Pushing the orb in the skin melted and molded back together, "You insult me. You injure my subjects. You near kill my love!" he said, deathly cold, "Now you stand before me, a broken, corrupt man. It is I who rule this land, no other!" he used the staff to pummel Mokena's face, once, twice. Blood ran freely from a cut on his forehead. Pulling on the ball at the handle of the staff he reveled that an iron tipped sword was apart of staff. Jareth held it to Mokena's neck. "Tell me why I should not slit your throat here and now." He hissed.

"Because it not the Jareth I know," Yet another voice said. Jareth turned briefly to meet Sarah face to face, "Don't kill him. It's too easy. Surely you can do something that can hurt him for a lot longer than death. Please?"

"As you wish, my sweet, I shall make a life for him so unappealing he will wish he were dead. But first I must attend some more important business… Goblins guard the swine. Kantar, give me the pendant," the small goblin gave the locket to his King. Jareth fell to one knee as he slipped the adornment around Sarah's neck. "Sarah, will you be my Queen?"

Sarah's world stopped when she heard those three words. _Be my Queen…_ they rotated in her mind, over and over. Her mind was having a mental battle, weighing up the good's and bad's of Jareth's proposal.

'Holy shit! What can I tell him? I'm not ready. I'm only fifteen! But if I don't say yes, I will surely break his heart. I love him though! What fifteen-year-old is a Queen? I can't help run a land. He has been doing it for centuries alone.'

"Oh, Jareth!" was all she could say.

"Is that a 'yes,' my love?" he inquired, looking into her holly green eyes.

"Shhh, not here." She gave him a mysteriously seductive look.

"Oh," he purred. "Now back to you…" his gazed darkened to black from the soft look he was giving Sarah. "You swine do not deserve to live. But it is lucky for you that my love does not want me to tarnish my reputation. I hereby cast to you a life of mortality in the realm of Earth. All your power and desire to gain it back will be revoked. Your processes will be monitored. Any contact with this place again with result in your death. The Seelie Court has been lenient in the past. I, however, am not. Now go… before I do kill you." Jareth then removed the sword tip from his neck and threw a crystal at him. Flames rose from the ground and engulfed Mokena without haste. He screamed bloody murder.

"Nooo! I will get you-" he could not finished, for the hellhole had eaten him and vanished with a small pop from it existence of the Underground forever.

"Now, good riddance to bad Fae's" Sarah giggled.

"Pardon, my sweet, what was?"

"Oh, nothing, now, I need to talk to you…" Sarah whispered in his ear.

"Very well, Sarah, we shall go. My subjects! Listen to me! You will all be rewarded for you bravery!" Nothing else was said to the goblins, but the couple, one held tight in the others arms faded from view.

They appeared, moments later in a luxurious room, which would even be better than any five star resorts in the Aboveground. This was, of course, Jareth's domicile. Dark or black satin blankets adorned the bed. Large silver pillows festooned it. Grand tapestry's hung from the wall. The pictures changed and looked at the twosome who appeared in the room.

"Of what did you want of me, love?" Jareth inquired slightly curious. He embraced her and claimed her mouth with a single, possessive kiss.

"Mmm… no, I… can't. I can't do this. I… I just can't be your Queen." Sarah let out in a jumbled, stuttered rush.

"Pardon?" Jareth stepped away and looked at his hands, unable to comprehend what he had just been told.

"I can't be your Queen, Jareth. I love you beyond anything I have ever known, but I can't marry you. I would never see Toby again. My family, they would worry themselves sick. Besides, I'm only fifteen." Sarah told him, gaining confidence.

"Do you want to go home?"

"Yes… no. I don't know, I think it may be for the best. Will I still be able to see you?"

"Yes… I will stay close, but I will have to come back here often," Jareth said. Sarah began to take the medallion off from around her neck, "No… no keep that on. It is for my Queen and, if it takes a thousand years, I intend for her to be you." She was crying. He kissed her cheek. "Shhh, its okay, I understand." Sarah looked up, her eyes black. It was her that pushed him to the bed. It was her that ripped at his shirt, making a sick, but satisfying rip. She straddled his lap. "Sarah, no, you don't want to." Jareth tried to shove her away, but she batted away his hands.

"I want to."

"No, you don't." Jareth tapped her face and she slumped against him, sleeping a magically induced sleep. He left her there, nearly invisible on the soft black satin covers of his bed. With one last glance at her, he disappeared to the North Tower.

The Labyrinth was always mystical at night, but it looked different tonight, viewed from eyes that dripped with tears. Jareth was up there in the North Tower, looking over his land. His kingdom that he nearly lost, it was only because of his loyal subjects that it was found again. Wiping away tears of loneliness, misery and the weight of the Underground he leapt out of the window. Transforming before he hit the ground, a white owl flew and flew until it was just a pale dot in the night sky. It was at a small secluded place in the Labyrinth far corners that he twisted into his normal, Fae figure.

"Nigiri, Nigiri? Are you here?" Jareth called into the darkness. No answer. Sighing he leaned against a tree. A black wolf stood out of the shadows. Dropping a dead rabbit clutched in jaws it morphed into the figure of a black male and glided to Jareth.

"You called My Lord?"

"Yes, I did. She denied my proposal. She wants to go home. I want you to go Aboveground when I am unable to be there. As a wolf, you will follow her with stealth. Anyone who interferes with her happiness... you shall deal with them, hear me?"

"My Lord?"

"Yes."

"Who is this girl you speak of?"

Jareth sighed. "Sarah…" he whispered.

"Is Sarah the mortal who defeated you three days ago, My Lord?" Jareth studied his yellow eyes.

"The very same you speak of is the same I love, Nigiri. I asked her to be my Queen and she did not accept. She misses her family. Sarah asked if she could still see me. I said 'yes' but I won't be able to be there all the time. I must come here and rule. This is where you come in. When I am unable to watch over her, you are to take my place. But we are not normal in the Aboveground. You must return to your wolf beast to look after her. I must go. I will inform you when need be. Goodbye, Nigiri."

"My Lord?" Nigiri asked.

"Yes?"

"I will watch her with my life." His faithful friend said.

"Thank you." Without another word Jareth jumped and took flight as a bird. He returned to the castle.

A knocking at the door awoke Sarah from the best sleep she had had in years. She remembered what she had told Jareth and just wanted to sink into the covers of his bed and die. The knocking persisted.

"Yes…" she answered feebly. The door creaked open.

"Sarah?" a masculine voice asked.

"Mmm?" she said, sinking into the satin sheets. Footsteps into the room were heard and the creak of the door shutting.

"Where am I? An ugly warty thing said you'd probably be here…"

"Daddy? Is that you?" Sarah said skeptically, sitting up slightly.

"Yeah, it's me. But seriously, where am I?"

Despite the circumstance, Sarah laughed. "You're in the Underground, Dad! This is where my fantasy land is. Remember when I was ten you said it was not real? Well it is!" she laughed more.

"Right, Miss, I fail to see what is funny here."

"She does, so that's all that matters." Jareth said, entering through the window conveniently.

"Who the bloody blazes are you?" Robert said, his false security slowly draining away.

"I am Jareth, King of the goblins, but to you I may be Your Highness, My Lord or Sir. Depending on what Sarah says, of course." Jareth's arrogance was back in full swing.

"Jareth, honey, this is my father, Robert." Sarah said, letting her feet fall off the side of the bed.

"Sarah, don't you 'honey' me. You made it clear what you wanted." Jareth said savagely. 'Seven Lands! If this man is Sarah's father, he may be uncooperative with me. He best not knows of the relationship between us. May the Aboveground Gods have mercy on my soul'

Sarah looked at Jareth, his face yielding fury, but his eyes showing nothing but remorse and compassion. She knew, then and there. It was a fake charade and should be played along with.

"Yes, as soon as morning comes, I will leave with my father." She roped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, "See me tonight, we need to talk." Sarah took her father's hand and led him from the room.

Out in the corridor was where Sarah studied her father's face in proper light. It was smeared with dirt and a line of dried blood smattered the crease of one of his brown eye. "You look terrible!" she gasped.

"Trust me, I feel it too. This character turned up in your room. I called him I think. The Goblin King, eh? Not as handsome as you described in your stories."

"The man you saw in my room was _not _the Goblin King. The man who you just saw is his son, and is the real Goblin King. What happened to the twist of your eye?"

"Faerie did it." He said as a small furry, be-tailed goblin turned the corner and studied the conversing pair. It stroked its long pinched nose.

"Yes?" Sarah said rather irritably.

"My names are Nimrod. Master sent a crystal for me to takes you to your rooms." Sarah was surprised at the creatures near faultless English.

"Fine. Take my father first. Then me."

"As the milady says I am commanded do." Nimrod replied walking them down the corridor. "This is your room, sir." The goblin said swinging the door open. It was not very lavish, but still grand. Dark blues and greens made up the quilting of the red wood bed. A fire burnt merrily in the hearth. A large, thirteen hour clock sat above the mantle. The only piece of furniture in the room, besides the bed, was a blood red high backed chair. Robert sat down, warming himself by the fire.

"Where is the bathroom?" he inquired.

"Down the hall to your left, sir. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No…" he was surprised at the treatment he was receiving, everyone was so helpful.

"Then I shall take the lady to her abode. Goodnight, sir." The goblin had taken an odd liking to this mortal.

When Sarah and Nimrod had finally reached her room, it seemed a lot closer to where Jareth's room was. "Nim… is this closer to Jareth's room than I thought, or does he hang the same tapestries in every wing?"

"This is the same corridor, Milady."

"Sarah will be quite sufficient, thank you, Nimrod."

"Fine, Lady Sarah. But do you know what I thinks?" the furry goblin said as it hoped on one foot to the other.

"What is that, Nim?"

"Me thinks the King likes Lady Sarah!" Nimrod said, now dancing around her feet, its long tail trailing not far from the body.

"Nimrod!" Sarah jumped on his tail. The goblin cried out loud in anguish. A door opened with haste.

"Nimrod, you dolt! What the blazes are you doing! Waking the half the castle is my best bet." Jareth said, leaning on the door frame, dressed in white silken pajama bottoms. His hair was ruffled, like he had just been on a quick flight.

"I… I was showing the Lady to her room, my liege. She, err, accidentally stood on my tail. Quite an accident, really. Not her fault. All mine, sir. Sorry, sir..." Nimrod muttered, trailing off.

"Even if she did it purposefully, I would not blame her." Jareth said. Sarah noticed a brown head sitting at the entrance to the room next to Jareth's.

"Oh, how cute!" she said, noticing that the brown head belonged to a rather large boxer dog. A black mask of fur covered its face. Dark chocolate eyes showed the emotion of 'What the in bloody Underground is happening here.' Sarah started to pat it head.

"Erm, dat is Inka, the King's guard dog though it does a ruddy job." Nimrod commented from under a table, where he was nursing his sore tail.

"Nimrod, silence!" Jareth threw a crystal at Nimrod; he scampered away and down the hall, his long tail flying behind him. The crystal hit the table and it vanished. The dog wagged its stubby tail, earning yet more pats from a starry eyed Sarah. "You like her?"

"Of course, she is beautiful! She has been a mother before hasn't she?" Sarah rapped him with useless questions.

"You may keep her. She is of no use any more, no more than a companion. And yes, she has been a mother. Twice."

"Are you serious? I can keep her?"

"Yes, you may. Under one circumstance."

She looked at him warily. "And that is?"

"I know you want to go home. But is three years enough? I could not stand any longer away from you. I could drop in every now and then, get acquainted with your family. Your father, I've met, briefly. Same goes with Toby, he is a delightful boy. But this Karen… I would like to get to know her a bit better." He said with a sneaky smile.

"Oh, no you don't!" Sarah laughed; she placed her hands on his exposed chest, pushing his towards his room.

"Sarah… not again…" Jareth warned.

"No… but I don't want to spend the night alone." She said in her defense.

"Okay… I shall permit you sleep with me tonight, but no misbehaving." The door closed with a small click. Inka was left outside the door. She huffed and lay down next to it. Robert pulled his head behind the corner. So his daughter was in love with the Goblin King. He could not have been happier. Content that the large boxer was guarding the door, he left for his own room to sleep.

Jareth woke early. He stretched in the beam of light that covered his bed. A low moan made him realize he was not alone. Curled up like a cat, lay Sarah on his bed. Sighing he stroked her dark hair, cherishing the little time they had together.

"Morning," she groaned, "So sore."

"That'd be the Labyrinth traversing and dragon riding for you." Jareth said, the corners of his mouth twitching. She sat up and her brown-green eyes looked into his two mismatched ones.

"It's my last day here. Can we do something? You know, we could leave at night, not in the morning." Jareth's eyes sparkled when he heard that.

"I've been waiting for you to say that. I want to show you something special. Can you be washed and ready in, say, two hours?"

"You bet!" she leant over, pecked him on the cheek and jumped out of the comfortable bed. He too got up, but by the time his feet touched the ground, he was dressed in gray tights, an open white poet's shirt and the leather vest from the tunnel, a pair of dark riding boots and he smelt of leather, spices and magic. "Cheat!" she yelled, he dodged the pillow she threw and caught her off guard with one that he threw in defense. It hit her smack in the face.

"I am… so… sorry," he said between rushed breathes as he walked to her side, "Fae… good aims, you know?"

"I do now," she said, laughing slightly as she rubbed her head, "Now, I have to get ready, if we are going out."

"Right, I'll crystal Saskia for you. She will help you dress and get ready. Do you know how to ride?" Jareth said, getting up from the floor. Sarah hoped that the six months that she went on a riding camp was still with her as it was years and years ago.

"Uh, I think. Jareth, I don't think I need a maid or anything…" Sarah said, her last words trailing off.

"Too late, love." The crystal disappeared from his hand.

"Damn you!" she cursed, slowly inching towards the door, glaring daggers. He just laughed, magically opening the door to let her out. The boxer dog bounded in, leapt on the bed, turned and dropped, looking very comfortable. She had never left the door all night. "Hello, Inka!" Sarah said energetically, turning left for her room. A small, petite woman with blazing red hair stood outside the door. Sarah and the girl locked eyes and the elf stooped into a deep curtsy. "My Lady," she said, getting up, "I am Saskia."

"Hello, Saskia! Sarah's just fine, I don't want people, err…" Sarah paused.

"I am an Elf." Saskia provided.

"… To get used to poshing me up. I need to get cleaned and dressed. I think we are riding. Is there anything for that? I usually wore jodhpurs."

"We only have dresses for the ladies here… but… I suppose I can get a pair of breeches and a shirt for you. Would that be sufficient?" Saskia grinned, amused at the fact of a woman wearing pants.

"Yes, yes, that would be fine!" Sarah said returning her grin, but trying to stop any small talk. The elfin woman disappeared by blue light, only to return seconds later with a crisp with poet's shirt and tan breeches. She handed the garments to Sarah. "How did you do that so quickly?" She asked, bewildered.

"I did it quite simply Lady Sarah. Elves can send messages through their minds to other elves. Down in the dress rooms, Constance heard my orders for suitable clothes and got them ready. Then I simply orbed to her, picked the clothes up and left. They are the only major magic I know." Saskia said in one rushed breath. "My La-… Sarah," the elf said, almost forgetting to call Sarah by her name, "I am being called, I must leave you. There is a copper bath in the area behind the door in your room, it fills magically. If you say 'tub fill' firmly, it will do as you ask. To empty it say 'tub empty' it will do so. There are assorted bubbles, scents and salts for the water on a table to the right of the bath. Towels will be next to the bath on the same table. Will thirty minutes be enough for you to refresh yourself?"

"Yes, thank you, Saskia, I shall not keep you any longer."

"I will someone collect you in thirty minutes." The elf said, although she played good natured to Sarah, she had a dislike for mortals. Everyone in the castle had the loath points, and that was hers.

"Thank you…" Sarah said, reaching for the handle. She had no idea the fiery redhead did not hear her. She had already orbed away. Sarah turned into her room and it was far more luxurious than her father's. She pitied him, for he could have stayed here, but Jareth most probably had his reasons. Opening the door to the bathroom Sarah gasped, her breath echoing. In the middle of an almost empty room, stood a large copper bath. '_Swimming pool is more like._' Sarah said in her mind. A red wood table was next to it, half covered with glass bottles with granite stoppers. Salts to the right of the table and bubble liquid and scents to the left. The other half of the table was covered with fluffy white towels. The only other thing in the room was a box, set close to the wall. '_That must be where I put my clothes,_' Sarah thought, '_I have no idea why it is so far from the bath, though._' She got closer. '_Oh! It has hinges_.' She lifted it. A hole met her glance. She looked down and she saw a black pit, never-ending besides a small pin prick of light. '_It's not a table, it's a toilet! I am so not going on that_!_'_ she exclaimed, totally disgusted. '_Where else you gonna go then, eh, smartarse?_'' one part of her brain argued. Blushing seven different shades of red, her desire to relieve herself gave in.

Later, she filled the bath and poured intoxicatingly sweet strawberry bubble and scent into the water. Sinking down low into the water she sighed finally finding an upside to Underground plumbing. For the second time whilst she was relaxing she was interrupted by a rapping at the door. "Yes…" she grumbled, hiding her naked parts in the dying bubbles.

"Miss? It is time to prepare you for your outing with the King. Miss, can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can. Okay, just let me dry and dress, I will be out in a second." She unwillingly left the reassuring warmth of the water. It never seemed to cool, but stayed a temperature she was comfortable with. Drying the bubbles that stuck to her figure, she thought about what was going through her head when Jareth turned up in her room, totally starkers. '_Really, I never saw anything_.' She tried to promise herself but failed miserably. Smiling she put her bra on and then pulled the white shirt over it. Hopping about like a mad woman, she put the breeches on, wondering how the Hell Jareth could put up with them. Sarah gathered her dirty, stained Aboveground clothes and opened the door. Indeed Saskia had sent another thing for Sarah's services. The blonde that looked at her with big, wet puppy eyes was, what Sarah thought, no more that fifteen. She presumed that the blonde was a Faery of sorts, by the pewter colored wings that were fitted just inside her shoulder bones.

"Miss, let me do your hair. Miss Saskia told me you were to go out riding with the King, so I shall do it up tight." She said. This Faery seemed to have a bubbly personality. Sarah took a straight liking to her.

"I am usually used to having it out, but your right, it will have to be up today. Do you have a name?" Sarah inquired. She sat at the makeup table, which had a big mirror. Over doing Sarah's hair, she learnt the Faery's name was Tybanksanetta, but she hated her name, so just to call her Ty, Sarah of course had no complaints as she could not even pronounce it. She came to work for the King as a young orphaned girl. The King took her in and raised her, teaching her right from wrong, good from bad. He nursed her when she was ill and played with her when she was bored. '_And I cast him a villain_.' Sarah was shocked at Jareth's kindness.

"Of course, he gave me the opportunity to leave when I was older and able to care for myself, but I thought I would be nice and stay. I told him I'd work as a servant. He agreed." Ty was weaving Sarah's hair into a tight braid. "To be perfectly honest, Miss, I think he would have had a hard time without me. He trusted me with secrets and stuff he would not even tell his own friends. I just think it is because they are in the Court and if it got out, he would most surely be _exiled_. There… done. You have beautifully long hair, Miss."

"Why, thank you, Ty. Actually I'd kill to have hair like yours." She laughed when Ty grabbed her blonde locks and held it protectively. "Not seriously, Ty!" Ty sighed in relief, letting her hair go. Her wings fluttered gently.

"We had best find some shoes, Miss; you don't want to get dirty feet." Ty held out a hand and concentrated. "Boots!" she said with force. All most at once, a pair of knee height brown riding boots flashed into the grasp of her hands. Sarah tugged them on when she was handed them. '_I wonder if I can learn any tricks like that_.' Her mind said.

"Miss, I had better take you to the kitchens. You may get some food their. I will also pick up the picnic basket while we are there."

"That's okay, I am a _tad_ hungry," Sarah said, massaging her growling stomach, "Hey, Ty, what do I do with those clothes?" she pointed at the forgotten heap of denim and light blues.

"Erm, I supposed we'll incinerate them." Ty noted Sarah shocked look, "it is a must Miss. They have been exposed to un-bridled Labyrinth terrain. The magic was bad magic; the cloths might, what can I say, fall off you if you wear them again. Now wouldn't that be embarrassing?" she giggled.

"Yes… horrific…" Sarah pouted to herself. '_I liked those jeans._' The two decided to walk to the kitchens, having a little under an hour. The giggled like school girls sharing secrets. This earned grumpy looks from the goblins sleeping in drunken stupors. When Ty pushed the heavy double doors to the kitchen, Sarah was greeted with a burst of life. Orders were being yelled from end to end of the kitchen. Occasional shrieks of laughter filled the air. Two huge fires burnt eternally next to each other. Medium sized warty goblins constantly stoked them. Infrequent smashing was heard. Sarah presumed a maid has dropped a plate or something.

"This place is huge…" she mused aloud as they walked through out the kitchens.

"It has to be, there are more that five hundred people and things in this castle at one time." Ty replied. Picking a large wicker basket Ty looked at Sarah. "Miss, may I ask something that you may consider private?" Sarah looked at the winged girl in front of her.

"Shoot."

"Do you really love King Jareth or do you feel that you _must _love him?"

Sarah stood like a stunned bird. This girl was for her age, very mature. "Yes, I do… with all my heart, Ty. I would be his slave." Ty beamed at her.

"Thank you, Miss. I noticed, for weeks, before you actually called the King, he was happier. I think he loved you from afar for many years actually. Please take care of him. I know you are to leave for some time. Please, don't tarnish his trust for you."

"How did you know I was… _am_ leaving?" she corrected herself. Ty continued to beam.

"We live in a close knit castle, everyone knows every thing. Now! Miss! Help yourself to some fruit; we must leave for the stables." Ty said, quite energetically. Sarah could tell the Faery loved the stables by her voice, no matter how much she tried to hide it. They walked out the room, Sarah dashing back in to retrieve an apple. Munching loudly, she talked between mouthfuls.

"I used to…. ride…. you know?" Sarah said, not like a lady. Ty goggled. "Sorry…"

"No matter Miss, but I suggest refraining from that whilst at lunch with the King."

"Sure." They arrived at the stables. It smelt of sweet hay and the smell of sweaty horses was quite dominant. Four horses were lined up at the wooden fence, their heads under the railing picking at the lush green grass. Others were scattered around the paddock beyond. There was a smaller sandy colored bay one, a mammoth shiny jet black one, an average dirt brown one and a one that looked like a huge red chestnut. Ty, Sarah noticed, pulled to the bay. She was calling it pet names and brushing its coat. "What's its name Ty!" she yelled across the area.

"Megs! She's mine! I brought her with my pay two years back!" was Ty's reply as she continued to brush its pelt so it shone. Sarah moseyed over.

"Which is Jareth's horse?" Ty looked at Sarah and laughed.

"Can't you tell? I always thought it was obvious." She pointed to the mammoth black. "Albemarle. He is a six year old stallion, from the kingdom of Luxemburg a gift from the Kailua emperor. The King should be here any moment, I think he'd…"

"… Be finished his paperwork and be ready to leave."

"You're Highness!" Ty curtsied.

"Ty, Sarah." Jareth acknowledged them with a small nod. He kissed Sarah's hand. She blushed. "Shall I get the horses tacked?" Sarah nodded. Jareth put his fingers to his mouth and gave a short sharp whistle.

"Be there in a minute!" a voice came from inside a shed.

"No! Now Marty!"

"King Jareth! I am so sorry; I did not know it was you! Sorry." A tanned black haired man aged in his late twenties came jogging up to them. He bowed his head. "Would you like Marle tacked, sir?"

"Yes and..." Jareth looked at Sarah, "Have you chosen a horse, love?" She shook her head.

"I did not know I had to."

"Quickly then, we have to ride for some time today." He replied nicely. Sarah walked over to the horses, looking them up and down. She would have chosen the dirt brown one, had not the huge chestnut whinnied and nudged her arm. She has quite a personality, she noted. She patted its white blaze.

"This one, Jareth! She's gorgeous." She said happily. Ty clicked her tongue in amusement.

"What?" Sarah retorted.

"Oh, nothing, but she is a new horse. No-one can really ride her yet. Kind of wild-like, see Miss."

"Well it looked like Forsworn chose the Lady. Maybe she made up her mind to start behaving today." Marty said, one of his rare words. Jareth looked at Marty, his eyes questioning the boy's opinion.

"Very well, Marty, tack Albemarle and Forsworn, we need to leave soon. And, I shall add if this horse misbehaves I shall pin the blame on you for recommending it." Jareth said coolly. Marty stood, cleaning his knuckles, apparently ignoring or not hearing Jareth's command. Jareth fumed. "And if she returns unharmed I will give you a rise!" he said, testily and sauntered away, examining his other beasts. The boy walked away, satisfied, towards the tack shed. He returned with an expensive looking saddle, made of what looked like real leather. It shone and glimmered in the sunlight. The boy hefted the thing on the Albemarle's back with a grunt and the horse took a few steps sideways.

"Damn!" he cursed, forgetting the under rug. Back stepping to the shed he came back with a thick under rug for the beast's comfort. Finally Marle was complete. He tacked up Forsworn, who tried, several times, to bite Marty. Throughout this whole time, Sarah had studied him. He had no horns or wings protruding out of him. No pointed ears or strange markings blemished him features.

"You're human!" she blurted as he smacked Forsworn's rump.

"Of, course; what did you think I was? Sidhe?" he laughed so hard he slapped his thigh. Jareth was there in an instant, looking very threatening; he obviously had little time for the stable boy, he grabbed the boy by the scruff of his dirty collar.

"You will _not_ torment Sarah, in any way, shape or form; do I make my self clear?" he said so coolly that it chilled Sarah's bones.

"Y-yes, don't be mean to the lass… I getcha…" Marty responded shakily. Jareth dropped his collar.

"We'll be off then," he said, mounting Albemarle with practiced ease, "Sarah?"

"Err, yes." She clambered atop her own horse with difficulty. Jareth smiled in amusement. She gave him a scorching look.

"We should be back by nightfall." They trotted down a worn old path, away from the castle and Jareth's familiar territory.

The paperwork had been so boring when Jareth knew he could be doing something better.

'_I do paperwork everyday! I'm getting sick of it! I could be with Sarah riding the countryside. I like riding. Oh, damn the work! I'm going!_' his brain complained. Jareth got up and walked from the room, going down to the stables to meet Sarah. He'd do the work later.

When he finally got down there, he stopped and stood deathly still, trying not to attract attention to himself. They were talking about him. He could not stand it, being there and not being acknowledged…

"… Be finished his paperwork and be ready to leave." He finished Ty's sentence and nodded towards Ty, saying hello. Jareth kissed Sarah's hand, enjoying the fact he made her blush. After a brief talk, he summoned the prat of a stable boy. The git saddled the horses and managed to insult Sarah. '_I put him in his spot._' Jareth's head prided. He mounted Albemarle with a flourish, showing off perhaps too much. Jareth watched with amusement at Sarah's attempt to duplicate his movement. She failed. Trying not to laugh he was burned by an oppressive look she gave him. "We should be back by night fall." He called as he trotted down his path, oblivious to the cross that Ty drew over her heart.

"Are you enjoyed the ride Sarah?" Jareth asked a few hours into the ride. There had been much convocation in which the two got to know each other much better, hardly shielding any information of their past.

"Y-y-yes." She stuttered, beginning to get sore from being tossed around the saddle. "C-can w-we st-t-op?" she complained, her rear winning the fight.

"We are close to our destination; we may stop for a rest and a nibble at our food." He said, grateful she had asked. It was years since he went riding this far. They turned to the side of the road, the clatter of the horsed shoes dulling down on the soft grass, not the compacted dirt path. They ate in random spurts of silence, munching on their roast meat sandwiches.

"So," Sarah said, chewing slowing; as if she were thinking hard, "I have a last name, you know my last name, Williams, but do you? I mean, what's your last name?"

Jareth looked at her, motionlessly searching the depths of her eyes. "I… we, Fae, don't really make out last names known. Can I trust you?" she nodded, "I am rather embarrassed of it… don't laugh… it is Troulefila."

"Jareth Troulefila," She looked at him, "It suits you. Do you have a middle name? Mine is Jade." He shook his head 'no'…

"We never usually give middle names, too much to remember, you see. It's my turn to ask a question now. Miss Sarah Jade Williams," he paused to think of a deep question, "Have you ever been courted by another male before?" the corners of his mouth twitched, daring to smile. She blushed deeply.

"Yes… I was too young to know what love was though… now I do. There was Carl, I was twelve. I didn't love him. And then, nearly three years ago, there was Jevin Sturdwick. I thought I loved him, but then he dumped me for one of my closest friends, Kym." Sarah paused to let out a strangled laugh, "When he got a friend of his to dump me, I went home and burnt every memory of him, weather it was photos, movie tickets to a movie we went to together or any scrap of paper I wrote 'S.W. loves J.S.' on. I hate him so much now."

"I loved once…" Jareth said quietly.

"What was that, sorry?"

"Never mind, Sarah. Wine?" he offered.

"In the Aboveground you could get jailed for giving me alcohol. I'm under-aged. Besides, I usually like vodka type drinks. I remember the first time I got drunk, I was with my friends. I had two bottles and fell asleep. My friends, Kym and Nikole were drunker than I was; they were poking me asking me to get up. I rolled over, kissed Nikole's cheek, told her I loved her, and went back to sleep. At least that's what they told me, I could not remember for the life of me." She smiled.

"I know… I was there that night. You did some Ouija boards. I was that nice forty-eight year old you were talking to. I tried to warn you of the coming seizure that your friend was about to have, but I think I scared you more than helped you."

"You knew when Angela was getting that fit? Michelle had to go to counseling because of that!" Sarah said, believing everything Jareth was saying, but never the less choking on her bite of food.

"Yes, if I concentrate on a group of people I can notice an impurity of their system. I can teach you if you want."

"Oh, my, that would be so helpful!" Sarah said, totally amazed.

"I will schedule time to visit you Aboveground and we will practice then. Now we must leave if we want to see them and get back before nightfall."

"Them…?" she asked, rather confused.

"You'll see…" he said, hiding all excitement from his voice. He walked to Albemarle and untied the reins from the tree, motioning to Sarah to do the same. She was about the get up on the beast when she found herself sitting comfortable in the saddle. "I noticed your difficulty last time…" Jareth said simply. Although she looked irritable that she was give 'unneeded' help inside Sarah was grateful. They rode on for many more hours.

"Jareth…" she stated to whine.

"Nearly, my sweet, nearly there." In truth Jareth was getting sick of riding too, since he normally flew there, to the destination. One, two, three hours later Jareth called Albemarle to a halt. Sarah, starting to get the gist of riding, copied Jareth's movements. "We are here." He said, pointing to a clump of lush berry bushes. The look on Sarah's face was amusing, Jareth thought.

"Where is here?" she asked. Jareth motioned for her to get off Forsworn and placed a long finger over his mouth, wanting her to be silent. He walked like a ghost to the bushes and pulled them apart, just enough for the two to see what was behind them. Sarah's eyes grew to the size of saucers. Jareth tried hard, and just managed, to restrain a laugh. Beyond the safety of the bush was a herd of the most peculiar animals Sarah had ever seen, but was well accustomed to spotting them. The beast's stood, oblivious the uninvited visitors, their coats shining a sparkling a radiant white, with hard black hoofs Sarah saw…

"Unicorns…." She whispered in awe. They were daintily picking at the green grasses of the meadow, a few sipping water from a crystal clear steam that flowed all the way through their land. Standing on a small mound was, what Sarah presumed, the leader of the drove. Its long creamy tail and mane looked impure against its iridescent white pelt. A long horn penetrated its skull. Jareth grinned as he told her in a hushed tone that he comes there often, sitting in one of the elm trees as the barn owl. Sarah asked if they could go closer.

"No… that would be a suicide mission. It is foaling season; they would gouge us with their horns in protection of the young and heavy with foal. We should go; they will get our scent soon and go into frenzy." He started creeping away, Sarah in a slow pursuit. They found their horses, snacking yet again. Mounting, with Jareth's help, they tested her cantering skills. Clopping on the dirt path, plumes of dust in their wake, Jareth decided it was time to play twenty questions. "What's your favorite color?" he asked.

"Dark purple." She answered. Five more irrelevant questions followed. "Why such curiosity, Jareth?"

"Because you won't be able to return to your old residence again because Mokena knows where it is and wants to kill you, so I have set about creating you a new abode, where you can live with your father. Country or city?" he inquired.

"Jareth! I can't do that! What about Toby? Country."

"I can arrange for him to go live there with you, my sweet, relax."

"How can I relax when I feel like a cardboard cowboy, I am told I can never return to the house where I grew up and your psycho father wants to kill both of my father _and_ myself to boot!" she said in an exasperated tone. He chortled.

"It will be made from the finest of materials and by the finest of the Underground craftsmen too." Jareth offered as condolence. Sarah brought her horse to a standstill, weeping.

"How do you expect me to live away from home? I had a basic life there! I had school, friends and my drama commitments. What am I supposed to do?" A magnificent colored bird flew across Jabberwocky's face and startled it. He reared on his hind legs throwing Sarah and galloping back to the castle. Sarah flayed her arms and fell. Coming into contact with the ground she was unhurt but winded, still managing to glare at Jareth.

"You… could have… stopped that!" she whined as she gasped for breath. He looked at the reins guiltily and then at the plumes of dirt trailed the runaway horse.

"Sorry, I was, err, looking at the bird actually. Rather rare…" he tried, but failed, to excuse himself for the mistake that could have been avoided.

"Please, Lord, give me a break…" she moaned.

"We can share Albemarle; he is more than capable of riding two people. I just had an idea. There is more I want to show you." Jareth said, dismounting Marle and offering a hand for Sarah to accept and get up off of the dusty ground. She did.

"What now? I'm sore and sore!" she mumbled under breathe, her silent disgruntlement.

"You'll soon see," he magically placed the both of them on to Albemarle's back; "we are not far away." He said offering the same comments as to before the unicorns. For an hour or so the rode, doubled on Jareth's steed. Careful not to make Sarah fall again he dislodged himself from the horse and helped Sarah down.

"In here." He led her into the mouth of a small cave. They walked a small distance before Sarah saw a light at the end of the tunnel. They continued to meet the luminosity. Finally the pair walked through to find a meadow full of lush grass, willowing trees and a sparkling lake. Large butterflies flittered through the air and fluttered into the secure hiding of big purple flowers. Sarah walked up to one and smelt it. So divine it smelt, it made her head light.

"It's so beautiful…" she said in a happy daze.

"And yet it is so dangerous, too. Many a mortal and Fae have wasted away in front of it, waiting for the next bloom. I shan't let that happen to you though. I have brought you here because it is my personal escape. I rarely take any one here, the only one who knows is Nigiri, and that's because he lives here."

"Who is Nigiri, Jareth?" she asked.

"You want to know do you? Well, that is a possibly good idea. Nigiri! Nigiri!" he called. There was no answer. "He is partiality deaf in his ears, and too damn proud to admit it, so he probably won't come after one call. Do you fancy a swim? The lake is warm all year round because it is heated by an underground spring."

"Oh, yes, why not, but I don't have any swimming clothes." She said, concerned.

"Does it matter?" he grinned. "I'm not supposed to do this, because magic is unstable, but here…" he conjured a revealing black bikini. She shivered in the wind.

"That's not very nice, Jareth." She said in mock anger, which only earned a bigger grin showing off his almost canine teeth. He was now dressed in matching black swimming trunks.

"Here, follow me…" he started towards a big elm tree, which hung thick branches precariously over the lake. Sure enough, he climbed and carefully edged out along one of the branches. "Now," he said, "We jump." And he did, making a huge cannonball wave spray up in his wake. Sarah followed suit, jumping and making a small splash as she pin dropped down. They both swam up to the surface and out to the middle of the lake where a small island jutted up from the shell of the water. Giggling slightly and breathing hard they lay together on their backs looking at the sky of their personal paradise.

"Bliss…" she murmured. Jareth got up and lay on his side.

"Sarah…" he said gently. She looked at him. He kissed her gently on her soft lips and caressed her wet hair. She closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss. His tongue stroked her lips; she parted them, giving him entry. Sarah embraced Jareth, loving every moment of skin touching hers. He pulled back, looking at her, savoring the sight. He was deeply in love with this mortal; he would reorder time and turn the world upside down for her. "I love you." He said, meaning every last word.

"And I love you, until the end of time." She returned the vows. Sarah closed her eyes, weary from the swim. Jareth did the same. They fell asleep on the island, embraced, a warm breeze stroking their bodies.

From the shore of the main island, where the lake started, a big black wolf watched them sleeping. Panting heavily it turn the leaped back into the dense covering of bushes.

Robert yawned, having slept well, he was rather hungry. He rose to a sitting position, stretched and yawned again.

'Maybe I could get away with a few more hours. What is the damn time here anyway?' he looked out the window. The sun was high in the sky, so he calculated it to be about noon. 'Maybe not…' his mind complained. He walked to the door, hopping on the cold stone flooring.

"Ooh, cold!" he whimpered, opening the door.

"Hello Master Robert!" a chirpy voice said. Robert looked down to see none other than the furry goblin, Nimrod. The looked up at him with respect. "I have been assigned to looks after you, Master Robert. King Jareth sent me a crystal. Are you hungry or what? I waited for you and I could eat an Anonon and chase its victims! Follow… follows..." The goblin motioned for Robert to follow him, which he did.

"I could really go for a shower right now…" Robert pondered.

"A what, Master Robert?" Nimrod said, totally thrown as to what a 'shower' was.

"Shower, you find them in a bathroom. It sprays water on you? Highly relaxing…" he looked at the confused expression on Nimrod's face, "you _don't_ have _showers, _do you? What _do_ you have?" Robert said, suffering from severe disbelief.

"We have baths, sir, but we goblins rarely bathe." He smiled, picking a flea off his arm. And eating it

"Great, well I presume we are eating? Yes, then I shall _bathe_." He shuddered. Robert hated baths. It was always a boiling hot shower every morning.

"Yes sir, we shall go to the kitchens and see in Myrna has any food. She saves scraps for me an' the chickens." He said happily playing with his tail, poking the furry tufts. The kitchens seemed hours away to Robert's grumbling stomach. It seemed that Robert had one thing in common with the goblin… his appetite.

"Are we there yet? I'm starved!" Robert complained like a three year old.

"I'm hungry too, sir. This corner and we are here." The imp pushed open the door, which blocked all sound from the outside. Screams and a fiery heat hit Robert square in the face.

"It's a bit _loud _isn't it?" he complained.

"Aye, it is sir, you'll get used to it…" he responded, making a beeline for a pile of roasted meats and boiled vegetables. He never made it…

"Scat, Nimrod, you dung brain!" a short plump woman in her late forties said, bringing the sweeping end on a broom down on Nimrods head.

"Myrna… that was not very nice…" the goblin complained, rubbing his head. "First the King tries to get me, now my food source it trying to kill me!"

"Is that all I am to you, a food source? You trifling rat!" her gaze softened. "Here, you little sprite, I can never stay mad at you." She grabbed a roast chicken off the pile and gave it to the goblin.

"Than' oo, Erna! Than' oo!" Its mouth was already full of chicken.

"Now, that I have dealt with _you_," she straightened up, nearly meeting Robert's eye level. "We have all heard of you, Master Robert. Lady Sarah's father, eh, what may I do for the sir?"

"Food. Not meaning to be rude, but I am starving!" he said.

"Now, I like a boy with a healthy appetite! We have roast, fruit, biscuits, chicken and pig _chew your food Nimrod_! I can make a hearty breakfast in no time, what do you like?" Myrna started to count off all possibilities.

"Could I trouble you for some eggs and bacon? I don't want to be picky, but I have not had good eggs and bacon for _years_!" Robert smacked his hand on his knee. The stout cook looked at him, studying his face.

"Of course you can, sir, you're the guest!" she beamed. "Let Nimrod take you to the Dining Hall and I'll get something to take it to you! Nimrod! I gave you a whole chicken and now you're in the puddings! Scat! Go on! Go!" The broom was again given motion as Myrna tried to sweep him out of the pudding tray.

"Okays, okays, at least I tried!" the goblin said, defeated. Limping toward the door he looked at Robert. "Are you coming, sir?"

"Err… yes, of course." He lopped to the goblin's side. Robert glanced at it, realizing how weird the goblin looked. Huge bat-like ears donned it head, tufts of fur protruding out the tips. Eyes the size of squash balls were bugged out of it head. A nose that looked two sizes too small for its face was attached there. Dog-like hair spurted from random spots on its body.

"Sir?" Nimrod broke Robert's examination. "The dining room is this ways…" he pointed down the opposite hall that he was turned to.

"Oh, right, I knew that!" He turned and followed the goblin to the dining halls. Nimrod stopped at a set of ornately decorated doors. He struggled to push them open, Robert helped him.

"This the dining room." He said, the goblin too looking in amazement. It had never seen this room, he and his friends never allowed in. "King Jareth thinks me and my friends make too much a mess to be allowed in here to eat." Robert could not blame him, really. By the look of that throne room, Jareth had let the goblins run riot there. When he first fought through the maze and got there, it was not difficult to find his private quarters. All the goblins were so drunk they would give information to anyone. Stepping over chickens and comatose goblins, he simply asked conscious goblins where to go. They would raise an unsteady arm and point the way or stutter a sentence of direction.

"I'm gonna have to leave you here, sir. As I said we goblins isn't allowed in the dining room." Nimrod said. Without another word he scampered off in the direction of the kitchens. Robert shook his head and continued to proceed into the dining room. It was, actually, quite unlike the rest of the castle of which Robert had actually seen. The walls were a cream color and the ceiling was vaulted up high. A redwood table which could have easily sat twenty people was the main feature of the room. The floors were, like the rest of the castle, un-carpeted. They were stone and very cold. Robert began wishing he had put his shoes on before he left his room. A delicious aroma tickled his nose.

'_Mmm,' _he thought _'That's the best thing I have smelt in my life!' _Searching for the culprit of the scent, he found at the head of the enormous table a plate of crispy bacon, sunny-side-up eggs, halved tomatoes, fat sausages and lightly browned toast. A goblet made of pewter held fresh orange juice was placed on the left of the plate.

"Nice…" he said seating himself, picking up the silver knifeand fork and started to eat greedily.

"Jareth. Jareth." Sarah whispered quietly, "Wake up, Jareth." She rocked his arm gently.

"No, Mummy, not now." He muttered incoherently. He acted as if to reach for bed covers. Finding nothing but damp grass he opened one bleary eye. "Uh, that was embarrassing." He said, realizing what he did and promptly turned scarlet.

"No, it was kind of cute." Sarah said, pecking his cheek. "Welcome back."

"Where did I go, love? Besides the loveliest dream, non-sexual," he added, viewing a not-too-amused look on Sarah's face, "involving a certain girl who is kneeling right next to me."

"Ah huh. Well, not trying to scare you or anything but the only reason I woke up is because I heard a howl. We'd better go." She started for the water and placed a foot in the clear, warm water. She waded out and was soon joined by Jareth. They swam causally for the shore of the main bank. At the shore she stood to her full height and flicked her hair, ridding it of any unnecessary dampness. Jareth just shook like a wet dog.

"We had better get dressed before we meet Nigiri. You _did_ hear a howl did you not?" he said, magicing up some clothes for himself and Sarah. He dressed himself in plain black, she noticed, except his poet's shirt. It was of the crispest white. It was buttoned high, yet not done to the top. The flaps of the collar flourished out the dip of a black leather vest. The amulet he always wore was clearly visible. Tight black breeches that left absolutely nothing to the imagination and high black riding boots were the last accessories. He had clad Sarah in a deep cranberry dress which was fairly simple, yet very elegant. Her hair had been twisted into a loose bun; an ornamental leaf and rose were entwined in her dark, wet locks. Her skin shimmered with health and she felt like a princess. Jareth turned to her.

"You look exquisite, my love." He fawned.

"I feel it, too. This Nigiri must be quite a friend if I am dressed like this." She said, pulling at the low rise top to her dress.

"Yes. He is to be quite jealous by the end of this meeting I imagine. Are you ready to meet Nigiri, my love?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose." She said, nodding slightly.

"Okay then, my love. Nigiri!" he called, his magical voice floating over the trees and catching on the breeze. He was about to call again when a big, jet black wolf bounded out of the shrubbery, it's golden eyes fixed on the two. Sarah screamed and hid behind Jareth. Running towards them, the wolf halted at their feet panting a great deal. Jareth winced at the pain in his sides, caused by Sarah's nails which were planted firmly in his flesh.

"Jareth… wolf… I'm gonna die…" she peeped.

"This is Nigiri, Sarah; please let my sides go, I think your drawing blood." She did and his sighed with relief "Sarah, this is Nigiri." She slowly emerged from behind Jareth's protection. Sarah was beginning to feel safe when Nigiri began to shift and twist, his snout becoming smaller, his spine curving and morphing upright and hair starting to disappear. She let out a harsh gasp and hid behind him yet again. She could hear laughter and carefully glanced around Jareth, a tall black man with amber eyes was tittering gleefully. Jareth simply looked agitated.

"It never fails to scare them, eh, My Lord." He sniggered.

"Nigiri, maybe you did not _hear _me properly. This is Sarah." Jareth said coldly.

"I am so sorry, my Lord. Please, forgive me." He stooped into a low bow and then stood tall again. "Lady Sarah, I am Nigiri, a long time friend of King Jareth's. I am sorry, but I confused you for someone else I used to know." Sarah observed the man in front of Jareth. He too was dressed in total black, from high necked vest, to loose trousers. A silver chocker necklace was circling his neck. On closer investigation, Sarah saw it was fashioned to look like a snake, red ruby eyes glinting in the sun.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm sure." Sarah said, trying to sound sophisticated.

"Sarah, when you go back to the Aboveground later tonight with your father, I will be sending Nigiri with you. He will be most of the time, when I am unable to attend to you. Always as the black wolf you saw he will keep guard of you from Mokena, should he return. As you can see, I trust Nigiri. I hope you don't mind." Jareth said, pulling Sarah out from behind him.

"No… err… not at all," Sarah commented, still slightly scared of the Fae in front of her. She hugged Jareth tightly.

"Sarah, please, there is nothing to be fearful of Nigiri would not hurt a fly. Maybe he'd hunt a rabbit when he is hungry, but that is another matter." Jareth soothed, as Nigiri flashed an innocent, toothy grin.

"You won't be bringing any 'hunt' home will you? I can make you food if you want." Sarah offered, beginning to feel friendly.

"That would be lovely, Lady Sarah. I have not eaten cooked meat in years." He accepted her offer, smiling slightly at the disgusted look on Sarah and Jareth's face.

"Nigiri, Sarah is to leave tonight so I suggest you accompany us back to the castle. I suggest you say _disguised_ the whole way if you don't want to be found out. Remember what happened _last _time?" Jareth scolded. Nigiri rolled his eyes and sighed. Although the towered over Jareth he followed his order and morphed back into the form the gigantic black wolf. Eyes gleaning it ran for the cave entrance and waited for the couple to join them. Jareth turned to Sarah and whispered a sweet nothing into her ear. She smiled and kissed him. They started walking at a slow pace for the cave.

"Jareth? What happened to Nigiri?" she asked, slightly confused and immensely curious.

"A long time ago," he said, starting of like all the fairy tales Sarah knew, "When he and I were young and irresponsible we did a bad, bad thing. We, no I, decided that it would be funny to sneak into the Elvin Kingdom and try to wreck havoc on the land. Just the standard things, scare the chickens, wind up the dogs, frighten the livestock. We were caught and Nigiri took all the blame. They wanted to kill him and I would not allow it. My step-father said that 'he always knew that Nigiri was a bad influence on me and we were never to meet again.' I ended up rescuing him from the salt mines and hid him in the paradise we are in now. He is always wolf form until I call him. I saw you admiring his collar. It keeps him out of harm from the prosecutors if ever found." He grinned at her, knowing he had done something bad, even though it was a long time ago. The reached the cave and dipped down entering at the same time. The wolf followed them in, prancing like a peacock horse.

"What time is it?" She asked. With a flick of his wrist a small clock appeared in is palm. He handed it to Sarah.

"It is three o'clock in the Underground… that means it would be six o'clock in the Aboveground." He answered, quickly working out the time line between the two areas. "The goblins should be finished the house by the time you get there."

"How long have they been there, it has only been a few hours? They would have had to clear the land and all the other stuff!" she exclaimed.

"Anything is possible with magic, my dear." Jareth responded. She rolled her eyes and they continued to traverse the rocky cave path.

"How did you come to find this place, Jareth?" Sarah queried. Again he grinned his impish grin.

"I was riding when I was a young Fae and I thought it would be good to try and hide from my step-father who was leagues behind me riding his horse. I found this cave and there was a delicious aroma coming out of the entrance, it was the purple flower which the smell was emitting from. I went to investigate like all inquisitive Fae would and I found the paradise. I kept guard over it as an owl and when no-one came for about a year I realized it was an unknown oasis. So I claimed it for my own seeing as it is on the Goblin land." They reached the end of the path and ventured into the bright sunlight. Sarah shielded her eyes with her arm.

"Lord, I wish I had my sunglasses." She prayed. "Hey! How am I gonna ride Marle? I'm in a dress."

"Are you familiar with side saddle?" Jareth asked. She shook her head. "Well you're going to have to learn. Now, I'll get up first and you can sit in front of me, with both legs over one side of the horse. We can enter the city via the main road. Now, up and, yes that's it, you've go it! Now, I've got some villagers coming to me this afternoon for me to settle some grievances of theirs. You and you father are most welcome to sit in, if you want."

"I'll see what Dad wants to do, Jareth, now if you have grievances to settle, we'd best leave now." Sarah said, already starting to make decisions like a true leader. Jareth kicked the horse and it galloped off down the dusty road, dust plumes flowing behind it and a wolf snapping at its heels.

Robert simply sat at the table, completely contented but completely lonesome. The last dregs of his enormous breakfast were being fondled around his plate with his silver fork. He was being waited on hand and foot by eager servants. He had a craving that he could share this luxury with someone. Robert thought of Karen and shuddered. Why he got married to her was a wonder. When they were dating it was wonderful. She was a lovely person to be around then when he married her, she turned into some evil three headed dog monster and he was the innocent kitten. He pushed the plate away and rested his head on his hands. Slowly he gave into a lazy sleep.

_It was a warm summer day, soft pink blossoms swirling in the scented breeze. But thunder clouds closed in, with the speed of Lucifer. They grumbled menacingly. CRACK! A stalk of lightening forked from the gray sky and destroyed a cherry blossom. Its petals flew helter-skelter in a pitching wind. BOOM! A thump of thunder echoed in his ears. Temporarily deaf he stumbled around. A slick slice of lightening struck the ground nearby. Splintering into a thousand pieces, it blinded him. The loss of his major senses made him fly backwards on an unnatural binge. Raising a hand he tried to conjure a magical sphere of any kind to guide him. Nothing. Again he tried. Zilch._

'_Useless!' he cried - half from pain, the other half from terror. _

_His words got lost in the raging storm. Billowing cloak around him was serving no protection from the cold. Raindrops slowly started to fall from the dark sky. More and more rain falling down and down, coming to an end at the gravel. Trees were groaning and making him slightly scared in this new surrounds. KERACK! Another shot of thunder tortured his ear drums. This one was companied by lightening. For a spilt second, it was enough to light the ground long enough for him to see that he was almost opposite a cliff face in which an opening was jagged in it. Saturated, cold and shivering he crawled into it. Cursing he made himself into the fetal position. _

'_I will get revenge, I ensue it!' Mokena screamed. _

Waking with a start Robert shuddered. "What an odd dream… Well, anything is possible in this place." Shrugging the dream off, he rose from the table and headed for the door. With one last look in the room, he noticed that a horde of goblins were already cleaning his mess. Scoffing he said "Speedy service." They never looked up and with the bat of an eyelid, they were gone once more.

He walked away from the dining hall and noticed a door that was not there before. He looked in a found a hall with door lining the walls. In one he found a library, complete with four ceiling high bookshelves and a dancing fire. Wandering into another door he found a gallery that had many pictures, mainly oil based paintings with gold inscriptions detailing the surrounds and main person pictured. He noticed a painting with a woman who had black as death hair with creamy skin and soul searching brown eyes. She was wearing a plum gown that had a plunging neckline and silver trimmings. A strange adornment was draped around her neck. She also had a child, extremely familiar, dressed in a blue outfit clasping her left hand and her right hand was extended, holding out a crystal ball. All in all, lady was very beautiful. He read in inscription underneath the red wood frame._ 'The woman who captured the King's heart'_ it read. Something in Robert's head clicked.

"Sarah…." He whispered. A door creaked as if on cue.

"You shouldn't be in here, sir." A gruff voice said. The door clicked shut. Robert turned to meet his fate. An extremely old, mystical man thing stood in front of him, as tall as he arthritic back could allow. A hat which ended in a long-necked bird blinked its yellow eyes.

"Well, well then, here stands a trespasser." It squawked. Robert took a wary step back.

"Oh, will you shut-up, Oberon? You need not be afraid, sir. You're here for a reason. Looking for answers? Or a perhaps story? The King's personal gallery shows itself to only the worthiest of the worthy. I am only its keeper. I was out to a short stroll when it found you. Sit, sit, I will tell you a story." The old man said. Robert obeyed sitting on a chintz chair which had a coffee table on its right. He raised his hand, as if back at school waiting for the teacher to acknowledge him. "Yes?"

"Are you a wizard? What is you name?" Robert asked in wonderment. The old man just laughed.

"Nay, my child, I am not a wizard, but I am very close. My name is Azeri; I am not of the wizard breed, but a sorcerer. A good one mind you. I'm growing too old for the profession, and I was the King's personal magic minder, a very draining line of work. It's very demanding and very tiring. I'm too old to be running from the bad guys and such, so the King retired me to watch over his gallery. All I do it watch over the pictures and educate the people who get the privilege to wander thought out. Now, on to the story?" Azeri said, concluding his memorized speech of which must have been said a number of times, this man was indeed wise and knew many secrets of this mystical world.

"Yes, please, tell me a story…" Robert said, enchanted by the man's knowing brown eyes and mesmerized by his face that seemed to tell a story of its own; the worst day of his life, the best and even the saddest and on to tales of triumph, tragedy and the mischief-ness of boyhood that Robert knew too well.

"Oh, good. I will tell you a story which occurred not too long ago, many a story follows the same lines, but one difference is apparent in this one. It involves our King and a mortal girl and a tale of love, confusion and defeat. But ultimately the story revolves around an unknown love. Now let me be-" the wizened man was cut off.

"When I was a child, I used to love fantasy stories. But then my father told me to grow up, that I was a useless sissy, constantly reading and ignoring teachers, preferring to draw creatures of the 'unknown.'" Robert laughed in a choky way, yet he continued. "Karen consistently pushed me to become stricter with my daughter and her ways of fantasy. She is withdrawn, but I cannot let myself ruin a dream that was once ruined for me."

The old man smiled, yet sighed his response; half annoyed at being interrupted, the other portion from a distant past of knowing the same feeling because the old man was once obsessed with the Aboveground, yet told to straighten up, those dreams would not come true. He would never meet a mortal… now look at him.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl. She had to baby-sit all the time; she was practically a slave to her wicked step mother. But inside burned a passionate flame, totally dedicated to a life not of her own, of fantasy and the surreal. Her spirit was being shared with a person, not from the Aboveground. Centuries before her birth, it was written in prophecy that a dark haired girl would come to our kingdom and claim our King's heart and he would marry her, and they would rule over the Goblin kingdom, a happy couple. One storming night, when she was left to baby-sit again, she called upon the King to take away the child who was prying at her nerves. He came of course; he has to make an appearance when the words are spoken in the Aboveground, seriously or in mock. He offered her a crystal which would show the girl her dreams, or her future. If the prat of a girl had chosen her future it would not have disrupted the kingdom, but she chose to try and find her step-brother, who was in the center of the Labyrinth. She was given thirteen hours to find him, and she had to traverse this giant maze to get to the castle. She endured tragedies and triumphs, happiness and sadness, made friends and created enemies. In thirteen hours she made it to the center and defeated the King. It broke his heart as he had developed a wild passion for her. He loved her with every fiber of his soul, but the fool was too proud to tell her like a man. Devastated and totally exhausted, he let her leave with the child. Later that night, she called everyone she met in the Underground to her world… including him, but she barred him and refused him entry to her celebration. He left her only to return each night to watch over her. One night, his magic failed him… I suspect it was the prophecy working its ways. All he heard was a plea from the girl to see him. In animal form he came to her, but was injured. She helped him recover and then his magic returned. Then, some how, no one is sure, it is rumored she has returned to our lands. But the prophecy says that she will leave, yet return for the last time when she has matured, mentally and physically." He clasped his hands together and the only sound that could be heard in the room was the bird-hats soft snoring.

"Wait… this _girl_ that is in the prophecy, what's her name; she sounds so familiar." Robert breathed, his voice catching ever so slightly. The man huffed and a little black box that Robert had never notice before appeared on the small coffee table. Azeri snapped his fingers and it rose shakily off the table and shook itself.

"An answer will cost you." He said simply. It was Robert's turn to huff in disagreement, but never the less took his put his left hand over his right and clasped his wedding ring and removed it. He slipped it into the slot and heard it tinkle on the base without remorse. The wise man closed his eyes thoughtfully. "The name of the mortal is Sarah. But the prophecy calls her Lady Sarah Jade Williams." He opened his eyes fast. They were a blazing red, as if they were made of ruby red fire and they locked on Robert's naturally brown eyes. His neck rolled to the side. He opened his mouth and spoke in a dismembered voice. "And she is approaching the castle. Prophecy will take place with the sun meets the ground of the day…" He stopped talking and his eyes returned to their original color.

"What the Hell was that?" Robert queried -his eyeballs wide with shock. The bird-hat woke with a start and snorted.

"Wha? Who zed? Oh, it's you…" it quipped, giving a rotten greasy look. "He probably just had a _vision_, if you called it… damned to the Bog if you ask me. Always has been, always will be."

"A vision… I thought only witches could make them." Robert murmured, half to himself, but the bird-hat heard him.

"They are quite common in wizard or any affected Fae. A dream come true or a blackened curse for some." The bird paused only to yawn. "I'm not sure what it is for him, but for some Fae, like Shakespeare, it was a curse. Look where it got him, banished a life of mortality in the Aboveground." It yawned again, clearly nodding off, just like its owner. "But he was successful there, so I've heard."

"Yes, he was. He was rather famous and rather dead." Robert said, taking a few steps backwards to admire another painting. This one was an oil-painting. A boy, probably about fifteen years old in Earth standards, was standing in a field. A unicorn was trotting up to him. A soft wind was hanging in the air, causing the pure white mane and tail of the unicorn and the fair, silvery blonde hair of the boy to waver in the breeze. His arm was out streaked to meet the creature's muzzle. A cold smile marred his delicate feature. He looked dressed to kill and the twisted grin on his face made him look like he would do it too. The engraved tablet simply said _Prince Jareth, Year of the 230th Run_.

"Yes, that picture was drawn when the King was still Prince, royal none the less but more of a royal pain in the… you gets the drift. He was a horrible lad, a true terror. He and his best pal, Nigiri, were both born leaders and born mischief makers. But then they put the wing too far over the river. They broke the Elvin Kingdom to pieces; the hens wouldn't lay their eggs for months and the cow's milk soured. The Nigiri fellow took all the blame and disappeared, even now, no-one knows where he was but there was a reported sighting a few decades ago. It was then that Jareth wizened up. Not a moment too soon, either." He snorted, and his eyes shut for a few seconds, then flew open. "Must s'cuse me, had a big day." Robert nodded.

"It's okay, sleep, I'll poke around for a bit then leave." He said, but it fell on deaf ears, the bird-hat was already asleep. Poke around he did, the gallery was one long room, with pictures adorning the walls on both sides. Women, men, children and animals were in every illustration. By far Robert's favorite was an oil-painting of a man that looked a lot like him. He was seated on a dragon which had sparkling emerald scales and crimson wings. The man had brown hair and a cream medieval poet's shirt tucked into gray tights. A dark vest was the only source of warmth to the male. He was holding a spike and his eyes were shut, enjoying the wind in his hair. His black riding boots were folded into stirrups; it seemed the dragon had a saddle of some sorts. He read the writing on the gold plate. _Julies and his dragon steed, Akaveli. Riding for the search and rescue. Julies died in action, Year of the 115th Run._ 'So this race is less primitive then I thought…' Robert's mind stated. His footsteps echoed in the long room, the snores of the sorcerer and bird-hat now in the distance. Turning a full circle, he was faced with a door. Silver handed gleamed, as if inviting him in. Slowly he reached his hand out and clasped the handle, the cold metal making his hand tingle incessantly. Turning the knob slightly, it slid from his grasp, preferring to open by itself for a small distance. A dim mauve light shone out of the opening. Curiosity got the best of Robert, as it normally did. He walked in and was met by a purplish ballroom. Drapes of dark purple hung from the walls and crystal candelabras were suspended by glass chains on the roof. Two silver statues guarded the door. They depicted men, with axes in hand. They made Robert feel that if he took one wrong move into this room, he would be cut in two slices. He shuddered at the stillness of the room, the uncanny silence. Suddenly, a lone violinist could be heard, but it sounded different, as if played by a ghost. It was an eerie and sad melody. Then the source of the music revealed itself. A transparent phantom with a white face mask, which covered his forehead and nose, stepped from behind a marble pillar a violin in hand gliding over to him continually playing its sad song. Other wraithlike beings who also had masks of different sorts started to materialize and dance to the music. They were swaying and twirling, dancing with partners, and the ones who had none were stalking the perimeter, eagle eyes searching for an applicable partner. The lone phantom continued its song, continued its paces toward him. It stopped in its tracks and the music screeched, then halted. The specters stopped dancing and stood still.

"You have no business in the Ball of the Mystics, mortal. What goes of you here?" It said in its ethereal voice. The sound of it made Robert's heart freeze into an icicle. He shuddered.

"A-a simple mistake is all; I wandered in here via the gallery. Excuse m-me, and I will leave." Stuttered his replied. The phantom placed a see through hand on its hip. White mask with black, vine like stars engraved into it clung to his upper face. Black gloves halfway to his elbow trimmed with gold, White poets shirts, bloomed from his shoulders and puffed out slightly at his waist. Tights, which were of the looser kind Robert noted, were made of the blackest black. Jet riding boots pulled up to his knee. A small heel gave him needed height. He looked, even though Robert's male eyes, devastatingly handsome, and judging by the way the female sprites were eyeing him, they thought so too. Other male ghosties saw him though jaded eyes, clearly jealous of his blonde hair and his blue as sky eyes that peeked from the holes for the eyes. Everything about him was perfect… except the obvious fact he was dead.

"There may be no going back for you, mortal. This ballroom is scared, and any lower class to step into it is usually punished to an untimely death and membership to the Mystics. It is not a very pleasant existence. Trust me, mortal. Now you must appear before each of the three nobles. Their names are as follows, mortal. Dristan, who is to you right is the noble of truth. Jeremiah, who is to your left and is the noble of faith," He held in his disembodied voice.

"Wait!" Robert said as the ghost pulled the violin to his chin and was about the play the first chord. "That's only two nobles… who is the third?"

"The third noble is I, Ayden. I am the noble of bravery and for what may happen to you, I hope it blesses you." He practically snarled. "Now mingle, eat and drink before you are tried. You may very well need it." He turned and walked away, playing his song. Dristan and Jeremiah vaporized and reappeared next a group of fine ghost women and began talking and playing their foolish games. Despite the warning, Robert did not eat, nor drink. He ignored the giggling wraith lasses dancing and twirling a circle around him, he simply pushed through them. Finding a solitary chair in the corner of the room, he sat, depressed.

"Damn curiosity… and damn me too." He cursed. Lifting his head he surveyed the room filled with beings of the Underworlds. The eternally dead, yet they were living in a sense. They were doomed to walk, not rest. Yet they _looked_ happy, dancing gleefully to the tune which had now changed into a cheerful dance. "I didn't even get to wash. Ah, well… whatever happens happens and it happens for a reason." He muttered and continued to analyze the room.

"Sarah…" Jareth whispered into her ear; she had fallen asleep when he had slowed the horse at trot. Nigiri was at its side, having lost interest in chasing the beast after he received a soft kick to the paw. "Sarah," he whispered again and she mumbled a response. "We're due to enter the city soon. Wake up, love."

"Nah… just a little longer. Please?" she whispered.

"No, love, you must wake." Jareth said, pain twanging at his heart by not giving her what she wanted. She straightened up and rubbed her eyes clean. She pointed her toes to stretch her legs and raised her arms in the direction of the sky to stretch them. The horse threw its head back and neighed as it walked under the metal arch into the city. It knew it was home. They walked past the clutter of goblin houses and though the town square complete with the urinating fountain. Sarah and Jareth straightened their postures, so if any goblin saw them, their presence would be intimidating. Chickens strutted the paths, but ran away clucking when the stallion came close. They rode past the main gates to the castle and Sarah was slightly surprised to see a small assemblage of dwarf, nymph and other woodland critters lined up and ready for their matter's they had to address the King. They stood chattering and shuffling their feet. Some had browned papers crumpled in their hands. When they saw Jareth approaching the men bowed and the females curtsied. Waving a hand, he dismissed their stances and addressed them. "Loyal country persons, I will address your needs momentarily. I welcome you to the Kingdom and approve of you to have some finger foods." Instantaneously, they appeared on the sidelines. The small beings eyed it off. Sometimes they made things up, just for the foods. Their King was well known in the community for his fine hospitality. He then kicked his steed and they were off again, this time heading for the stables. When they approached the stables, they found Marty and another different man talking and smoking a pipe. Marty's back was toward them and the other man was leaning on the fence. His hand slipped in his pocket and out came a sugar cube, which he fed to the nearest horse; who accepted, ate it, then licked it's lips greedily expecting more. Jareth dropped from the horse making no sound at all. He walked like a ghost towards Marty. No sound so far. He tapped his right shoulder and ducked to the right with the speed of lightening. Marty turned and no one was there. He shrugged and continued the conversation. Jareth dotted his finger on his left shoulder, but did not duck away. Marty turned, and came face to face with an angry looking King.

"H-hallo, King Jareth… How was your ride?" he stuttered, surprised he was faced at such a close range he could smell cinnamon, magic and the wear & tear of the day.

"Hallo yourself, Marty. I'm a beginning to fail to see why in the Underground I hired you! You ignorant dolt. That horse threw Sarah! What can I do to you?" He seethed, whilst Marty cowered pathetically. "Get up!" he spat.

"Now Jareth, stop this pettiness! So bloody what if the horse threw me! It's not Marty's fault, so leave him alone, God dammit!" Sarah yelled. It got Jareth's attention and it was his turn to cower. She looked positively frightening. The wind was blowing west and it made what hair which had fallen from the bun fly in that direction, giving it a feel of magic. Her eyes blazing murder, this was the first time Jareth had seen her that mad since the Escher Room. "Now you get inside that castle and address your subjects." She said through gritted teeth, venting and cooling down. She had no idea what brought on the anger attack, but the feeling of power that ran through her veins was spellbinding. It was like she had magic too, and Sarah liked it. Turning, she met Marty's frightened gaze. "No need to be scared." She said calmly, and he rose back to his five foot height.

"Miss Sarah. You should not have come to my aid. King Jareth will surely tear you to shreds now. But either way, I thank you." He bowed and kissed her hand. The wolf, which sat at Albemarle's hooves, growled menacingly and Sarah snatched her hand away from Marty's grasp. The man who Marty had been talking to before Jareth had fired abuse had seen every scene and he sauntered over, with the grace of a cat.

"You're not going to introduce us, Mart?" he said in a seductively smooth voice. Sarah shivered at the sound of it, for she saw through his façade. She had dealt with greasy men such as him before. They went for beauty of women and such things really pissed her off, so to speak. Marty sensed her discomfort and quickly said her name, telling her that this man's name was Conner, Prince and heir to the throne of Bronx. He then hurriedly suggested she go back to the castle. Sarah sensed danger with this man and complied with his suggestion. Casting a positively evil glare at him, she left and headed for the throne room of the Goblin castle. Marty looked at Conner.

"You'd best watch yourself, Prince Conner. The King can be possessive of his acquaintances." He said. The Prince sniffed.

"I am a not a man who takes no for an answer. I will get what I want, no doubt about that." With that, he flicked his dark hair out his eyes and turned on his heel and marched after Sarah.

"Your highness, your highness!" a goblin cawed while running throughout the many corridors of the castle looking for the King. "Your high-"

The King swore in a foreign tongue and the goblin cowered fearfully. "What!" Jareth looked down on the goblin that had run straight into his leg.

"Your highness," he bowed "I've been sent to tell you that the King, Queen and Prince of Bronx have just arrived less that a half hour ago. By the looks of their coach, they will be here a while. What do you want us to do?" Jareth sighed impatiently… he normally enjoyed visits from surrounding kingdoms, but now his simply felt he could not deal with them. He should have twigged when he saw the Prince at the stables. And he did not even acknowledge him… Damn… he was in trouble now.

"Unhitch their horses and put them in the north paddock. Take their luggage to the east wing. Um, ask them if they want any food or drink and then escort them to the rooms; a shared room for the King and Queen and a separate room for the Prince. Grommet," he addressed the goblin, which was about up to his hip. "Tell them I will see them at dinner, in five hours precisely. Now get someone else to let the village people into the throne room and tell them to line up at the throne and I will with them in a moment." He started to massage his temples, a tension headache setting in.

"Yes, sir." He saluted and scurried away.

"Why does everything happen to me at the most inexcusable times?" he muttered aloud and continued on his way to his quarters to change and freshen. On arrival he slipped into the bathroom and gazed into the mirror on the wall. "Mirror, mirror on the wall…" he said. He had heard that lyric many a time from a book called Snow White. It was one of Sarah's favorite fantasy tales until her grandmother gave her a book she had cherished in her childhood. The tattered red copy of Labyrinth, Jareth remembered Sarah's grandmother well. She was a lovely woman; he had known of her since she was a blossoming teen. In a way she looked a lot like Sarah, or rather Sarah looked a lot like her and it was obviously her grandmother who gave her her passion for fantasy. In her small hostel unit it looked cluttered with her ornaments of goblins, faeries, unicorns and sprites. It was an instant hit and as soon as Jareth had been drawn to the old woman and her love of fantasy he had been drawn to the young girl, and over the years her watched her grow into from a toddler to a child and then to a adolescent. It was then that he discovered his love. He had watched her grow and develop into a beautiful young woman. Once in her high school years there had been a dreadful young boy who had teased her. Well, he put a stop to that, Jareth had given Sarah strength… it was just for one day, but did she wallop him or what? Then there was another girl who he pushed down a few flights of stairs with his magic. That was a right royal laugh. He should tell Sarah one of these days. Smiling he looked into the mirror and nearly gasped at his reflection. It was looking older; he had raven claw streaks at the twist of his eyes and he had grayish bags under them too. His skin looked paler and drawn tight over his cheekbones. He looked a mess! He smile vanished and his mouth formed a grim line. Stress, that's all. Soon life would be back to normal and he would be admiring from afar again. He dipped his hands into the basin of crisp water, and drew in a hushed breath at the actual iciness of the water. He washed his hands and splashed water onto his face, drying it with a fluffy towel. With one last look into the mirror and a magic change of clothes; this time ridding the formal black and white exchanging it for gray breeches and a loose white shirt buttoned just above his navel with black heels and the crushed red velvet vest covered with a black cape, he turned and left his bathroom. A large brutish goblin was standing on the outside, waiting for him. It was none other than his advisor.

"Your highness, are we having a bad day?" he inquired with a quirk of it unnaturally bushy eyebrow.

"Yes, quite that, Savannah," he sighed, happy to have finally met someone he could unload his worries onto; "I started out normally; paperwork and such, then went out with Sarah for the day. Everything was perfect until we rode under the gates. Sarah had a fire at me and told me to go. Now I looked into that damned forsaken mirror and I'm looking older!" The goblin looked at him sternly.

"Your highness, your quarter mortal, therefore you're not immortal, so you're not going to live forever. It is normal that you're starting to age. Don't worry; you've still got a fair few millennia left in you." Savannah the councilor soothed. "Now we must be on our way to the members of the city. There's only a few of them this month, sir."

"Good, as much as I hate to admit it, I cannot be bothered with anyone this evening. Savannah, I would be lost without your guidance. I shall leave for the throne room now. You may accompany if you wish." Jareth said as he quickened his pace for the throne room.

"Majesty, may I suggest we accelerate our stride more so." They both started to jog as the King was unusually late. He pushed the throne room doors with such force that the slammed to the walls, startling the occupants of the room. The line of villagers immediately bowed, knowing that the Kings mood had severely dropped since they last saw him.

"You may rise." They did so as Jareth stalked to the throne and sat. He addressed the first village dweller. "Your name and case is?"

The villager, which was a fat balding Fae of some sort, looked at his toes before looking at the King. "My name is Peg. And Josephus's goat broke through the fence and destroyed my missus's vegetable patch. Now he won't fix it or pay for the damage done." He gulped.

"Where is Josephus?" Jareth inquired. A small furry man that looked like an Aboveground badger walked up and took place next to the man named Peg. "Josephus?" Jareth said. He nodded and placed his shovel like hands at his sides and bowed. Your goat wreaked havoc on Peg's land?" Again it nodded. "And you do not claim reasonability to fix or finance the damage?" a third time he nodded. "Why?" The badger-Fae took a breath.

"It's rightfully my land, Your Highness, see Peg's missus took ill few years back and during her recovery she wished for a veggie patch. I made one at the end of my land for her, near the goat pen. There was a storm and a tree fell on the goat's fence and Brutus got out and got in there and ate the veggies and trampled what was left. I'm not too keen on making the patch there again incase it happens again, so I refuse to pay for its fixture." He said.

"Peg, Josephus, please, was my guidance necessary? All you do is move the patch elsewhere. Peg's wife gets the patch and Josephus gets to choose the relocation. Simple." Jareth said wearily.

"We never really though 'bout that." Peg admitted. "Joe, let's go get this sorted. Thank you, Majesty." The turned and left for the door. The advisor ticked the names off a clipboard.

"Next case, please!" he called. A stout woman with a dirty apron and three children and four adolescents around her feet stood puffed. "Name and case, please."

"Me name is Ezmarella. I got me too many children, Ya 'ighness." She panted. "Look at 'em. There's Timmy, Kyan, Marge, Mel, Trey, Dave and Sue. The keeps I run off me feet, see. I can barely afford ta keep em', but I loves em' dearly. Just wonderin' if ya could give the elder ones, Kyan, Dave, Marge and Sue places at the castle ta work, see. I means, ya don't have ta, but Kyan is a bleedin' good gardener and Dave, despite his appearance can clean like and angel. Marge can cook like the Keeper 'imself. And Sue, ma dear Sue, she has manifest interest wid tha animals at 'ome…"

"Enough, Ezmarella. I'll tell you what I'll do. I will enter each of your children in an apprenticeship. Kyan's apprenticeship can be with my gardener, Hedgehog. Dave can prove himself in the goblins quarters. Marge can try her hand and cook my and the entire castles meals with Myrna and the other cooks. And Sue, she can go down to the stables. They will have residence here for three months, just a trial. If their good enough, they can stay until no longer need be. They will be paid full wages, half of which can be sent to you. Kyan, Dave, Marge and Sue please step forward." The four of the oldest children stepped forward. Kyan and Dave bowed whilst Marge and Sue curtsied.

"Your Highness." They said in unison, greeting the King.

"Thank you." Kyan said. He looked like the oldest male, perhaps eighteen, but still a youngster. Jareth acknowledged him with a slight twist of his mouth as he conjured at crystal and watched it float away, out the door.

"One of my maids, Saskia, will be here in a moment to take care of you. Are you alright for a start tomorrow morn?" They nodded. "You may go home when Saskia is done and collect your belongings, clothes and such."

"Thank you, Majesty, we are grateful for your decision and we will try not to disappoint you." Marge said, doing a quick curtsy. The family of eight turned and exited, just to wait for Saskia. They left just two more occupants in the room. The second last in line stepped forward before Savannah could summon him.

"My name is Tipping, and I got a bone to pick with the kingdom, Your Majesty. It's always a filth pole, nothing else. What do I have to do to keep it clean? It's your kingdom so you should at least make some kind of routine to make it acceptable. Now I've lived like this for fifty years and only after visiting the Elvin kingdom to see my niece have I come to realize how encrusted with crap it really is." He vented angrily "Fifty years back it used to be a proud kingdom and I was a proud occupant. Chickens and muck path the streets. You know, I know the King and Queen of the Bronx are here… do you want them to see how shambled your Kingdom has grown? I think not. How about you do something about it, ey? Good day to you, sir." His face was red and he pulled his cap down and stormed from the palace. Jareth had a confused look on his face. Savannah sighed with disappointment.

"Should I make an appointment for the Bog, sire?"

"No, no he does have a point. But all I can say is that Kyan and Dave have a fair job ahead of them…" Jareth said with a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Next and last case please! State your name and case." Savannah called, although he really did not need to, as there was only one last critter in the room.

"Oh, my case is really no big deal, Your Highness. Mammy just sent me here to tell you that the Fiery's are getting kind of restless 'cos it's nearly summer and they can feel the fire of the suns more. Their setting sticks and stuff on fire more often. It don't bother us 'cos we live underground in the Fiery Forest, so Mammy just thought that it'd be nice to let you know." The tiny little creature said. Its watery eyes looked tired and the way it favored one of its hoofed feet, it was injured.

"You came all this way to tell me that?" Jareth inquired. The little half deer, half winged boy nodded. "That's at least two days journey by foot."

"Three." The boy corrected.

"What is you name, Satyr?" Savannah asked gently, proving that a hobgoblin that looked as gruesome as he could have a tender side.

"Kane, sir. My name is Kane." He answered politely.

"Well Kane, we cannot have you traveling three days with an injured leg, can we? You are welcome to stay until your leg heals." Jareth offered, showing his hospitality.

"My Mammy would worry, I cannot." Kane said, skittishly.

"If you want I will send a crystal to your home so you Mother does not worry. As a matter of fact, I insist you stay. I do not want one of my Labyrinth dwellers to die in there; it is not much of demise."

"If you insist, Majesty, but I do not want to be of a burden."

"Nonsense, Kane." Jareth said. "We need some color in this castle. It is getting rather boring." Jareth flicked his wrist and a crystal appeared. It was slightly purple in color, indicating it was just a simple and harmless message crystal he watched it float away. "Now, Savannah, can you deal with your other duties while I take Kane to the hospital wing?" Jareth rose and started to walk. He tapped his hip, signaling for Kane to follow him. Kane tried to, but his faulty leg gave way and he fell, sprawled on the cold stone floor. "That may prove of a problem." Jareth said as he observed the situation.

"I'm sorry Your Majesty, I'm just so tired…" Kane whimpered and started to cry. He was shaking badly.

"No matter, shh, it's okay. Calm down." Jareth soothed. He was used to caring for small wished-away children, and this was a similar situation. He knelt down next the hiccoughing imp and gently slid his arms underneath him. He picked him up with care and devotion as if he was his own child. Cradling the half goat boy close to his body he picked up his cape and covered the shivering being. The shivering that was coming from this tiny little gnome stopped being so violent. If a passerby who was foreign to the castle but proverbial to the King's nature they would have been totally thrown to the sight. A fully grown powerful Fae with a foul tempered temperament cradling a sick and upset gnome would have confused them immensely. Ignoring the goblins that had just been let back into the throne he pushed through them, kicking just a few out the way. He exited the room, signaling hello with a nod of his head to the group of eight villagers being quizzed by Saskia. He started to run to the hospital wing when he heard a faint call of his name. He turned half-heartedly, his soul purpose to get this boy some medical help.

"Wait, please!" he heard the voice again. He started stepping backwards, in effort to get closer. The figure kept running towards him. It was Sarah. "I'm sorry for what happened before. Will you forg-" she was cut short by Jareth putting a spare hand to his mouth then signaling for her to keep walking with him.

"You must excuse me Sarah, but this one was one of the villagers who came to present cases. All of them were for themselves but this boy. His Mother sent his on a two day journey from the Fiery Forest just to tell me something that had nothing to do with them and just to give me prior warning. He is only young for his specie, I'd say about five years old. His name is Kane and his foot is wounded and he's suffering from extreme exhaustion. I want to get him to a nursing sister. He's weak, run with me." He panted as he ran.

"He's so vulnerable…" Sarah breathed.

"Turn here," Jareth said as he darted into a small door to the right. She did so and her eyes were greeted with warm room that was white in color and smelt like vanilla. Goblins and humanoid figures were gracefully walking between beds and administering medicines to ill castle dwellers. The sudden draft of cold air made the sisters look up and scowl at Sarah and King Jareth. Sarah, feeling the unwelcome gaze closed to door and the icy breeze was shut out. One of the sister's saw the horned head sticking out of Jareth's riding cloak.

"An ill one?" she inquired and Jareth tilted his head forward grimly. Sarah found a seat and sat down, willing to watch but not wanting to get in the way. She was concerned never the less. She had never seen Jareth act this way towards an ailing creature. As a matter of fact, she had never seen him act this way period.

"Give him here," another nurse said; Jareth handed the now asleep boy over without a word. She laid him down on a vacant bed. "He has sprained ankles, one worse than the other. A near fracture, I'd say. Cracked and chipped hooves, he's been chased by something I gather. He's rather grubby and looks kind of dehydrated." She was muttering. "Get me warm water, bandages and cream quickly." She ordered. Two sisters ran off to collect the items and returned moments later. Jareth spoke.

"He is a traveler; he walked three days to get here." He told nurse who was fussing over the patient sullenly. Sarah said nothing. He turned to her and observed her attire. "You've changed, love." He said. She was in a pale blue dress. It was simple, with a square cut top and a V waist line. The sleeves belled out near the hands.

"As have you." She replied and she returned the observatory gaze. She looked down, for some reason unable to keep eye contact. "I must speak with you in the gardens." Sarah near whispered as she got up and left the room. She left Jareth in shock, but the sister's never realized her strange disappearance.

"Go to her, Majesty. We will be alright with the boy. Go…" A nurse told him. He looked at her and faded from view leaving a sprinkle of sparkle and reappeared on a garden bench, surrounded by standard roses which gave off a lovely smell of boiled sweets. There was a bird bath positioned in front of the stone bench and two black birds were bathing. When they noticed his appearance they called a song out of their yellow beaks and flew off into the yonder.

"You were quick. I thought you would've stayed with Kane a moment longer." Sarah said. She was standing at a rose sampling the glamorous scents.

"Simple magic, that's all. Considering you would have had to walk and not knowing the castle like the back of your hand yet, you were rather fast yourself." Jareth replied, not looking at her, but were the birds had once been.

"That's why I needed to talk to you. Magic, that is. Is it possible I have somehow _contracted_ magic? I think I've somehow got some minimal magic off you or somehow during my journey through the Labyrinth when it was unstable?" She said softly, afraid of breaking the tranquil environment. Jareth laughed quietly. Sarah looked at him with disbelieving eyes. How could he be laughing?

"I thought you would have figured it out by now. I gave you magic! Remember? 'But what no-one knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl and gave her certain powers.'" He chuckled at her expression, which was a mixture of shock and joy.

"_You_ gave me magic?" Sarah asked in disbelief.

"Yes, you've been magical for some time now, but I suppose it is because you're in the Underground the power has flourished. Tell me, how did you come to believe you had magic within you?" Jareth, grasping her hands and holding them palm up, questioned her.

"Well, it had a lot to do with today. When I yelled at you, I felt so… so powerful. Like mercury was flowing through my veins. I suppose it will go when I return to the Aboveground?" She said. He shrugged simply as if to say he had no idea, but secretly he knew different. Now the magic had been literally awoken, it would die when she breathed her last breath or someone stole her magical golden orb, like Mokena did to him. He shuddered and stiffened slightly... Mokena, he very name made him sick with rage. Sarah noticed his chill. She enveloped him in a hug and held him close. She had no idea of the time so unwinding her arms from behind his back she concentrated hard on what she really wanted and sure enough a small sun dial appeared on the grass. Sarah made Jareth turn and face the sundial.

"But that wasn't there before…" he mused.

"Magic." She responded. Jareth paid attention to the dial and noticed the time. He swore in Goblin tongue. "What's wrong?" Sarah asked, realizing that something was a bit suspicious.

"We've got dinner with a boarding Kingdom, quick!" Jareth ran off, Sarah in hot pursuit. They ran for Jareth's chamber's where they stopped, puffing heavily. Jareth gazed over Sarah's body. He was totally and utterly hypnotized by her heaving breasts. Her pale blue dress clung to her hips and each slight move she took made Jareth want to bed her right then and there.

"Like what you see?" She purred. Sarah walked around Jareth seductively tracing a finger around his waist line, teasing him painfully.

"Indefinably." He breathed. "Pity we have to leave." She looked hurt, but she soon recovered. She was cold though.

"As you wish, Jareth. What do you want me to wear?"

"Now, now Sarah, don't get cold with me. If I had the choice I would play along with you, but we are late as it is." He flicked his wrist and he was dressed in an immaculate ensemble. Creamy white poet's shirt, done up to his neck and fastened with a dainty jewel. He had the usual grayish breeches and black leather vest. He looked handsome as usual and that made her feel sadly plain. She felt like a novice chess player in a competition; she knew she was going to be judged and if it was bad, it would reflect on Jareth's taste in women.

"Jareth perhaps it would be best if I stay behind." Sarah said dully, clasping her hands together. "I would not want to disappoint your guests. You told me that Fae once hated all mortals. I am, after all, a mere mortal."

"Sarah. Love, you are talking like an ignoramus. You are my love, and nothing less. If they the Bronx royals do not like you they are more than welcome to leave. Quite honestly I do not know why they are here." Jareth explained. "Now, you must dress, love."

Sarah glided to the redwood wardrobe. Upon opening she found it was full of feminine clothes, so she assumed Jareth had it moved up here for her. She inspected an emerald green dress, didn't like the style and moved to a deep mulberry wine color. Satisfied with the choice, she slipped into it. Jareth nodded his approval and styled her hair, into tight curls, with magic


End file.
